


Of Blow-Dryers and Bourbon

by Beatbot (HeartInABoxx)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 02:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8515642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartInABoxx/pseuds/Beatbot
Summary: It all starts with a hair wash...AU Bartender!Clarke and Stylist!Lexa The rest of the gang makes an appearance too...Clexa! Linctavia or perhaps Ravetavia





	1. Chapter 1

Clarke glances down at her watch, cursing Octavia for being late again. She’d shown up 20 minutes late for her shift, which meant Clarke’s lunch break got pushed back, and it meant she was late for her appointment to get her hair cut. And if there was one thing she hated more than anything it was being late.  
She approaches the salon at a bit of a jog, throwing the door open, and she’s immediately overwhelmed with the sights, smells and sounds coming from inside.  
It’s nearly surreal.  
Rock music is blasting through speakers she can’t see, and it smells like a fine mist of hair product is just hanging in the air. Everyone standing behind each row of chairs is dressed in black from head to toe, most in ripped jeans or cargo pants, with boots of some kind covering their feet. Some wear motorcycle boots, some cowboy boots. Everyone has their hair done to perfection, and Clarke is silently cursing Octavia again for recommending this place to her because she feels ridiculously out of place.  
“Can I help you?” the receptionist asks.  
Clarke tries to smile, but she feels like her teeth are sticking to her lips, and she figures it’s too late to back out now. “Clarke Griffin. I have a 4:30.”  
“You’re late,” the girl mumbles offhand. “The commander won’t be happy.”  
“Excuse me?” Clarke asks.  
“Lexa, your 4:30 is finally here!”  
Clarke follows her line of sight and notices a girl typing away on her cell phone occupies the only chair along the right side of the salon without a stylist working. The girl rises when she hears the receptionist’s voice call to her and she seems to be sizing Clarke up as she approaches.  
“Nice of you to finally show,” she mutters. “This way.”  
Clarke is caught off guard by the attitude. “I’m sorry, I had to wait for a coworker to show up before I could leave, and she was late.”  
“Have a seat,” Lexa says, getting straight to business. “My name is Lexa. Can I hang up your coat?”  
“Thanks,” Clarke replies, tugging her coat off and handing it over. She watches as the receptionist scurries over to take the coat before Lexa can even move.  
Clarke takes a seat, and watches in the mirror as Lexa pulls a smock out of a drawer and in a move that makes her look more like a matador than a stylist she whirls it out and around Clarke’s neck in no time.  
“I bet you do that for all the girls,” Clarke says, smirking.  
“Excuse me?” Lexa asks, looking more than mildly annoyed.  
“Nothing,” Clarke mumbles, her face burning with embarrassment. “I really am sorry I’m late. I’m usually really punctual. Like, annoying so.”  
“I understand,” Lexa tells her, finally softening a bit. “We’re just very busy. So what are we doing today?”  
Clarke is finally able to meet her eyes, and when she does she feels her heart stutter in her chest. This girl has the most beautiful eyes Clarke has ever seen. She blinks. “Um. Just a trim today.”  
Lexa nods and suddenly bends at the waist to pull Clarke’s hair out to each side. “It looks like we can just trim about an inch and a half to get rid of the split ends.”  
Clarke nods, biting her lip. Lexa is very close and she smells very good.  
Lexa seems to notice her staring and smirks, clearing her throat. “I’m assuming you want to keep your hair as long as possible?” When Clarke nods dumbly, she smiles a little wider. “You should. You have beautiful hair.”  
“Thanks.”  
Lexa pulls a small towel from her drawer and goes about tucking it into the neck of the smock. “Right this way.”  
Clarke takes a moment to watch the girl move as she’s led to the bay of sinks at the hair washing station towards the back of the salon. She’s slim, but carries an air of confidence that Clarke finds extremely attractive. She’s wearing a pair of tight cargo pants and heavy black boots, topped by a dark crew neck shirt. Clarke finds herself fascinated by the girl’s hair as she walks behind her. It’s long and curly, done in several intricate braids and Clarke thinks it looks beautiful.  
She’s so focused on Lexa’s hair that she nearly runs into her when she stops at a chair for hair washing.  
“Have a seat,” Lexa says, motioning to the nearest chair.  
Clarke drops into the seat and leans back as Lexa gathers her hair up so it can be dropped into the sink.  
Lexa tugs her sleeves up her arms, and Clarke’s eyes are instantly drawn to the tattoos that wrap around one of her wrists.  
There’s a sudden hiss as the water is turned on, and a moment later a hand is raking gently through her hair bringing her face-to-face with several more tattoos scattered along the underside of Lexa’s wrist.  
“How’s the temperature?” Lexa asks looking down at her.  
Clarke’s eyes cut away from the tattoos and tries to focus on anything but the chest in her face. “Fine.”  
“Let me know if it gets too hot.”  
Clarke can feel her face flushing again and she sincerely hopes that it doesn’t extend all the way to her scalp. She sighs happily as her eyes slip closed. There are very few things she loves more than someone washing her hair. Lexa works silently above her, and Clarke bites her lip every time the other girl brushes too close, because she smells so good and she has really amazing hands, and she would really hate to make an even bigger ass out of herself.  
“Is this your natural hair color?” Lexa asks once the water shut off and she shakes some shampoo into her palm. She begins working the shampoo into Clarke’s hair.  
“Um yeah,” Clarke answers.  
“It’s really beautiful,” Lexa says.  
Before Clarke can respond, the water is flipped back on and hands are in her hair again to rinse out the suds. She finds herself nearly drifting off as Lexa’s fingers weave through her hair and scratch at her scalp, and after a round of conditioner the water is shut off one last time.  
“That was awesome,” Clarke sighs. She freezes when she realizes she spoke aloud, and can feel her cheeks heating up. Again.  
Lexa smirks down at her for a moment before she digs around in the drawer next to her for a towel. She spends a moment wrapping blonde locks up in the towel. “Right this way.”  
Once Clarke was back in the chair, Lexa digs around for everything she needs, and uses her foot to pump the chair up a few inches so she can get started. She moves around to stand in front of Clarke as she unwraps the damp towel from her hair. She takes a step closer, moving each leg to stand on either side of the footrest as she begins to towel dry the other girl’s hair.  
Clarke honestly tries to behave, but she can’t help but let her eyes trail over the other girl’s slim shoulders and her collarbones exposed by the open collar of her shirt.  
“An inch and a half?”  
Clarke startles and glances up to find a smirking face watching her. Clearly she’s been caught checking her out. “Sure.” Clarke nods. “I like your necklace.” She hopes it isn’t a totally lame way to cover her staring.  
“Thank you.” Lexa moves behind Clarke and begins running a wide-tooth comb through her hair. “So what do you do, Clarke?”  
Clarke swallows, because there is just something about the way Lexa says her name. “I’m a bartender. At The Ark.”  
Lexa’s eyes narrow for a moment, like she’s trying to place the name, but her gaze remains focused on the task at hand. “That’s the place over on 7th?”  
“That would be it,” Clarke says with a proud little smile. She likes it when people know her bar.  
Lexa nods, her face unreadable. “Do you enjoy being a bartender?”  
Clarke’s eyes dart up to watch Lexa’s. She knows that most people look down on bartenders; thinking they aren’t educated enough, or smart enough to do anything else with their lives. But Lexa seems to have meant her question innocently enough.  
“I do actually,” Clarke responds with a smile, thinking about the things she’d witnessed over the years. “I mean, sometimes I have to deal with drunk frat boys grabbing my ass, or the occasional cheater that’s been thrown out of their apartment and just wants to cry into their beer, but most of the time it’s people wanting to have a good time. They’re celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, or promotions or bachelorette parties. It’s kind of nice to be involved in peoples’ celebrations.”  
“That does sound nice,” Lexa says.  
Clarke nods, holding her eyes in the mirror. “You should come by some time. Bring your friends.”  
Lexa’s hands pause and she looks up, meeting Clarke’s eyes again. “Maybe I will.”  
Clarke smiles, holding her gaze. Lexa has really beautiful eyes. “So what about you?”  
The spell is broken and Lexa goes back to trimming. “What about me?”  
“Do you enjoy what you do?”  
“I do,” Lexa replies with a nod. “For the same reasons as you, I suppose. I get to be a part of special things for people too. People come in looking for a new look or a fresh start for a new job, or they’re getting over someone. Girls getting ready for prom, boys for their big dates. Who knows who I’m helping get ready for a big celebration at The Ark?”  
Clarke meets her eyes again, smiling, and Lexa’s eyes are blazing and her lips are tugged into a small smile.  
“Chin down,” Lexa orders softly.  
Clarke follows her orders and feels a pull in her stomach as she thinks about the way those green eyes burn right through her.  
As Lexa tends to her hair, Clarke takes the time to watch the stylist working at the chair next to her. He is huge. Tall and muscular, his head bald and his muscles straining against the sleeves of the tight black tee shirt he wears. She smiles because he is cutting the hair of a girl that can’t have been more than 7 or 8. He has to keep having her stand so he can sit in the stylist chair so he could trim her hair properly.  
The second time the little girl has to stand up she gazes up at him. “You look like G.I. Joe.”  
Clarke can’t help the snort of laughter escaping her, and she notices several people nearby are grinning at the little girl as well.  
“It’s because of my muscles, right?” he asks, flexing playfully. He turns towards Clarke’s chair. “What do you think, Lex? Because of my guns?” He flexes at her.  
“He never misses an opportunity to flex,” Lexa says conspiratorially, smirking at him.  
“You love it, baby,” he replies with a wink.  
“Boyfriend?” Clarke asks, trying her damndest to sound nonchalant.  
Lexa actually snorts. “Definitely not.” She meets Clarke’s eyes. “Not really my type. What about you? Boyfriend? Girlfriend?”  
Clarke feels a tug in her gut and she smiles at the way Lexa seems to be adamantly avoiding her gaze. “Definitely not. I’m sort of married to my job right now.”  
“I understand that,” Lexa says, glancing up with a small smile. “So what do you do when you’re not bartending?”  
Clarke’s lashes flutter as she considers the question. “I love to paint.” She notices Lexa’s eyebrows twitch up at this, like she hadn’t been expecting the answer. “And sketch, anything art related really.”  
Lexa seems to absorb this information quietly and with a nod. “Is that something you went to school for, or would want to go to school for?”  
“No.” Clarke shakes her head, a bitter chuckle escaping before she can help herself. “No. I was actually pre-med before I dropped out.”  
Lexa seems to sense her proximity to an emotional landmine and sidesteps it rather neatly. “Life takes us in strange directions sometimes.”  
“That’s an understatement,” Clarke snorts.  
“Would you like me to blow dry your hair for you?” Lexa asks, watching her expectantly.  
Clarke glances down at her watch for a moment, trying to gauge how much time she has before she has to be back at the bar. “Please.”  
Lexa bites back a smile and nods her head. She pulls a round brush from the drawer and pulls one more canister of product out. She pours some in her palm and runs her fingers through Clarke’s hair gently several times. “Heat protection.”  
“Smells really good,” Clarke notes as her eyes slip closed again, lifting her chin to sniff the air around them. “Thanks.”  
Lexa reaches for the bottle, holding it so Clarke can read the front. “It’s called nightblood serum. We carry it if you want to take some home.”  
“Thanks,” Clarke says, glancing up to meet bright green eyes.  
Lexa smiles and flips on the blow-dryer, leaving them surrounded by the sounds of the whirring motor.  
Ten minutes later Clarke is standing on the other side of the front counter and Lexa is tapping away at the touch screen monitor in front of her. She flips it around to let Clarke leave a tip and swipe her card.  
“Thanks,” Clarke says rather lamely. “For everything. My hair feels awesome.”  
“You’re welcome, Clarke,” Lexa says softly. “I hope to see you again.”  
“Maybe at The Ark?” Clarke asks hopefully, a lopsided smile tugging at her lips. She really needs to go, but she can’t seem to drag herself away from this beautiful stranger.  
“Perhaps,” Lexa says, one corner of her lip twitching. “Have a good day.”  
“Thanks, Lexa,” Clarke says with a wave. “You too.” She turns to leave and smirks, hoping that Lexa finds her phone sooner rather than later. She’s perfectly okay with being cell phone-less for the afternoon, but after a few days it might start to make her crazy.


	2. And Bourbon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we head to The Ark.

Clarke finds herself watching the door later that night. The bar is packed and she finds herself falling into an easy rhythm of pouring drinks. She has a shaker in one hand, shaking absently, her eyes on a group of guys at the end of the bar that she can’t quite tell if they are goofing off or getting ready to fight. She catches sight of someone moving into her peripheral and she turns, her heart feels like it’s flipping over in her chest.  
Lexa.   
She takes in one steadying breath. This is the moment she’d hoped for all day. She’s on her home turf and it’s time for her to turn on the charm, because there is no way she’s letting Lexa leave here tonight without getting her number.  
“So we meet again,” Clarke calls over the noise. She smiles at the two others flanking Lexa.  
“Hello, Clarke,” Lexa replies. She nods her head at each of her friends. “This is Lincoln and Anya.”  
“Hello,” Lincoln greets with a warm smile.  
Anya is watching her with an amused smirk, like she’s in on some joke that Clarke certainly isn’t privy to. “Hi, Clarke.”  
“Hey,” Clarke greets with a wave. “Let me deliver these and I’ll be right back.”  
Clarke can’t help but feel the weight of someone watching her as she moves down the bar to deliver drinks. She collects cash and drops the change in the tip bucket before returning to Lexa’s group.  
Lexa holds up her phone. “You forgot this earlier.”  
“My phone!” Clarke exclaims happily. “I totally thought I lost it. Thanks!”  
Lexa swallows and nods, a smile tugging at her lips that’s only just visible as she dips her chin towards her chest. “Of course.”  
“What can I get you guys?” Clarke asks with a grin. She leans over to rest both her elbows on the bar in a move she’d learned from Octavia. She knows that standing like this shows off her toned arms and lets her shirt fall away from her skin enough to tease. Then she refuses to look up at Lexa.  
“Grey goose and red bull?” Anya replies. Her smirk makes a return, and Clarke can’t help but feel like Anya knows exactly what she’s up to.  
“Sure,” Clarke says with a nod. She eyes the other two.  
“Um, a Mic Ultra please,” Lincoln tells her, eyeing the drink menu and scratching his chin.  
“Watching your carbs?” Clarke teases.  
Lincoln grins. “I am actually.” He flexes playfully. “You never know when it might make some little girl’s day to have her hair cut by G.I. Joe.”  
Clarke bursts out laughing thinking back to the salon. “That was the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.” She shakes her head and looks up at Lexa through her lashes, finding her watching her with bright eyes. “And for you?”  
“What would you recommend?” Lexa asks, her eyes narrowing slightly in what almost feels like a challenge.  
Clarke smirks. “How about the Griff Stiff?”  
“Was that a come on?” Anya snorts, playfully shoving Lexa, who’s ears turn a little pink.  
“Only if she says yes,” Clarke replies, winking at them. She sets expectant eyes on Lexa, who’s being carefully watched by her two friends as well. She feels a bubble of warm anticipation swell inside her when Lexa gives her a short nod. “Be right back.” She turns and heads down the bar to make the drinks, smiling as she listens to Anya’s cackling laughter behind her.   
“Oh my God, Griff!”  
Clarke jumps and juggles to save a glass from a shattering death on the bar floor when Octavia comes barreling into her. “Geez, O, what?”  
“He’s here,” Octavia breathes, stealing a glance over Clarke’s shoulder.  
“Who’s here?” Clarke asks, going back to making her drinks.  
Octavia’s eyes are still on the mystery ‘he’. “Lincoln. He is so fine.”  
Clarke glances over her shoulder. “Who, G.I. Joe? Yeah he’s here with Lexa.”  
Suddenly Octavia’s eyes snap to Clarke, eyebrows raised. “Who’s Lexa?”  
“She cut my hair this afternoon,” Clarke replies with a shrug. “I told her she should drop by.”  
“Pouty Green Eyes, you mean? She’s staring a hole right through you,” Octavia teases, glancing over her shoulder again. “Didn’t take her long to take you up on your offer.”  
“Probably because I ‘accidentally’ left my cell phone on her table,” Clarke admits with a wide, toothy smile.   
“Get it, Griff!” Octavia cheers, smacking her playfully on the ass. She takes in Clarke’s appearance suddenly. “That explains the outfit I guess.”  
Clarke simply shrugs innocently, but she knows how good she looks with her jeans slung low on her hips and toned stomach being shown off just enough by her sleeveless, navy mid-drift top. She glances over her shoulder just quick enough to find Lexa averting her eyes.  
“I swear; Lincoln has such great hands,” Octavia continues. “I’m fairly certain he could make me come just washing my hair.”  
Clarke wrinkles her nose. “Thanks for that visual.”  
Octavia glares at her playfully. “I know for a fact that you happen to like that visual.”  
“Oh my God,” Clarke sighs dramatically. “We slept together once, O! And it was years ago. Please let it go.”  
Octavia winks at her. “Not when I’ve seen how good you look naked, Griff.” She suddenly spots someone coming through the door. “Shit, Raven’s here too.”  
Clarke laughs. “Now what are you gonna do? The girl that makes you see stars on a regular basis, and the guy that can make you come washing your hair both show up on the same night.”  
Octavia leans over to slide the cooler open and pulls out a few beers, popping the tops off them with practiced ease. “Try to convince Raven to have a threesome?”  
Clarke frowned at this. “O…”  
Octavia rolled her eyes. “I know, Clarke. We’re just really good together. Like off the charts chemistry.”  
“You’re going to break her heart one day,” Clarke says softly, turning back to the bar with her hands full. She makes her way back to Lexa’s group, narrowly avoiding a collision with Monty, the bar back, in the process. She places the drinks down on the counter and waves away the cash Lexa holds out to her. “First round’s on me since you saved me from having to live a phone-less existence.”  
Lincoln, Anya and Lexa all raise a glass to her for that and thank her more than she deems really necessary. Clarke chats with them for a few minutes, but she spots Raven sitting alone a little further down the bar looking dejected. She excuses herself and makes her way over.  
“Rave? You okay?” she asks as she puts a beer on the bar in front of her friend.  
Raven smiles sadly. “Hey, Griff. I’m fine.” She shrugs. “Octavia is being distance girl tonight.”  
Clarke’s head tilts and she watches her friend with sympathetic eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t do this to yourself.”  
“I can’t help it,” Raven mumbles, dropping her chin to her hand. She glances down the bar and finds Octavia leaned over, clearly flirting with Lincoln. “It looks like she found someone else to play with tonight. I should go.”  
“Why don’t you stay a while?” Clarke suggests. “People are starting to clear out. You can drink on my tab and then we can go back to my place.”  
“I’m flattered, Griff, but I’m pretty sure I turned you down the last time you propositioned me,” Raven teases with a sad smile.  
Clarke’s eyes narrow. “Technically Octavia propositioned you that night.”  
“Yeah, right before you slept with her,” Raven points out with a real smile this time.  
“Stay,” Clarke insists softly, placing a hand over Raven’s. She feels better now that she’s seen a genuine smile on her friend’s face. “Please?”  
Raven rolls her eyes and sips her beer. “Fine. But you owe me something much stronger than this.”  
“You got it.”  
“Clarke!” a voice calls from down the bar.   
She looks up and finds Trent, a regular at The Ark, waving her over. “Duty calls,” she says with a shrug.

XXXX

Around midnight Clarke notices things starting to slow down. There are more people headed out than in, and she does the mental math and figures she’ll probably be in bed by 4am.  
“Hey, Clarke,” Trent calls, shaking her from her thoughts.  
She smiles his way, trying to be polite, but he’s on his way to being hammered and she knows he’s a very sloppy drunk, and he always hits on her once he’s past a certain point.  
“Hey, Trent,” she greets back as cheerfully as she dares. She has to walk a fine line between being polite because he is a regular in her bar, and not encouraging him to think he has a chance with her. Plus, he’s a really nice guy when he isn’t a total mess.  
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks with a lazy smile.  
Clarke smiles back and shakes her head. “No thanks. Can I call you a cab?”  
“Nope,” he replies. “You can pour me another drink though.”  
Clarke isn’t sure it’s a great idea, but she pours him one more. She suddenly spies Lexa headed her way.  
Lexa moves several seats down from Trent and props herself into one of the seats.   
“Hi,” Clarke greets, a smile sliding over her features. She likes the fact that Lexa and her friends have stuck around, and they’ve managed to drag Raven over to their table, where she seems to be chatting quietly with Anya.  
“Hi.” Lexa slides her empty glass over the bar top.  
Clarke smiles wider and reaches for the glass. “We actually have someone on staff to grab the empty glasses from the tables.”  
“I know,” Lexa says softly, shrugging one shoulder up. “I just figured I would save them some of the trouble.”  
“Can I get you another?” Clarke asks. She finds herself completely captivated by this version of Lexa. In the salon she had been the queen of her domain. Very serious and very stoic, only letting the softness seep out on occasion. This version of her is quiet and polite and it actually makes Clarke melt.  
Lexa seems to mull this over quite seriously for a moment. “Actually, could I get a glass of water please?”  
Clarke nods. “Sure.”  
Clarke busies herself with making the longest-to-make ice water in the history of the bar.   
“Bless you,” Lexa suddenly says absently. She’s been staring at Clarke’s hands making her drink.  
“What did you say?” Clarke asks, a soft little curious smile on her face.  
Lexa looks up, eyes widened, like she suddenly remembers she’s in mixed company. “Someone sneezed.”  
Clarke melts a little more.  
“Here you are,” she says as she puts the glass of water on the bar, complete with a slice of fruit and tiny pink umbrella.  
Lexa blinks at the drink and her eyes cut back to Clarke, who is grinning.  
Clarke shrugs. “I thought the little umbrella was so your style.”  
Suddenly they’re both laughing.  
The front door opens and Clarke visibly brightens when she sees Bellamy enter. His eyes scan the bar and he grins when he notices her. He uses both hands for leverage as he hoists himself up enough to press a kiss to her cheek over the bar. “Hey, Griff. Hey, Griff’s pretty friend.”  
“Keep your paws off her, Bell,” Clarke tells him sternly. “This is Lexa. Want a beer?” She’s already reaching into the cooler to pull a bottle out, popping the top quickly and handing it over.  
“Thanks,” he replies with a smile. He scans the room and suddenly his eyes widen in surprise and his smile turns to a grin. “Linc!”  
Lincoln looks up from his conversation with Octavia and recognition floods his features as well.  
Clarke watches as they meet in the middle of the bar and do some sort of weird bro hug. They’re each gesturing to people they know in the bar.  
“Safe to say they know each other,” Clarke mutters.  
“He’s important to you,” Lexa says softly, staring down into her glass.  
“Bellamy?” Clarke smiles. “He’s kind of like my brother. He’s Octavia’s older brother.” She tears her eyes away from the boys to glace over at Lexa, who is watching the guys as well. They watch as Lincoln introduces him to Anya, and Bellamy leans in to press a kiss to Raven’s cheek as well.  
“It seems our friends get along,” Clarke mumbles absently as she watches Octavia make her way over to greet her brother and flirt some more with Lincoln. She watches Raven’s eyes trailing Octavia’s every move until Anya demands her attention again.  
“It would seem so,” Lexa says evenly.  
“Don’t worry, Raven is one of the sweetest people ever,” Clarke says, watching Lexa watch Anya and Raven together.  
“I believe you,” Lexa says, turning back to her. “Have you been friends long?”  
“Since college,” Clarke says with a shrug. “She’s brilliant. She as her degree in engineering but loves working on cars. She has a garage a few blocks away.”  
“Anya works with me at the salon,” Lexa says, smiling in thanks when she realizes what Clarke is doing. “She actually co-owns it. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without her. Your friend is very safe with her.”  
“Good to know,” Clarke says with a nod.   
“Griff!” Harper calls at the other end of the bar. “I need another bottle of Patron.”  
Clarke stares at Lexa for a moment. “Guess I have to get back to it.”  
“Of course.” Lexa nods and takes her fancy water back to the table.

XXXX

Clarke watches from the end of the bar as Lexa, Anya, Lincoln, Octavia, Bellamy and Raven crowd a table, laughing and talking loudly. She smiles, glad that her friends had welcomed some newcomers with such open arms.  
She grabs the last tray of clean glasses and moves towards the back of the bar with them.  
“Hey, baby,” Trent greets sloppily, grabbing her ass as she walks by.  
Clarke glares at him. “Still not interested. And if you grab me again, you’ll be thrown out on your ass.”  
“You say that now,” he mumbles, reaching for her again. “Let me buy you a drink, then you might change your mind.”  
“Pretty sure she said no,” a voice cuts in. “And if you grab her again you’ll lose your arm.”  
“And I’m pretty sure you should mind your own business,” he sneers at her, reaching once more for Clarke, but Lexa’s faster than he is, and she has him spun around and his arm trapped behind his back before he even realizes what’s happening.  
“You bitch!” he shouts, finally drawing the attention of everyone else, who spring from their seats and rush towards them.  
“I told you to keep your hands off her,” Lexa growls in his ear.  
“Lexa, let him go!” Clarke cries.   
“Not until he apologizes,” Lexa sneers, tugging his arm a little harder making him sputter out an apology.  
Clarke glares at her for a moment before she grabs Trent by the arm and leads him towards the door. She speaks with the bouncer for a moment before she heads back behind the bar.  
Lexa stands there staring at her for a moment, noting that Clarke is practically fuming. “Clarke-”  
“I had that under control,” she interrupts.  
Lexa frowns. “I know you did, but it’s not in my nature to stand by while someone puts their hands on a woman who has made it clear that they’re not interested.”  
“He’s a regular here,” Clarke says. “I know him. There was no need to attack him.”  
“He grabbed you!”  
Clarke takes a breath and tries to calm down. She knows Lexa was just trying to help, and she would hate to see this thing between them fizzle out because of a stupid drunk guy. “I know. Thank you for trying to defend my honor, but next time please just let me handle it. Because in this place there’s usually a next time.”  
“Agreed.” Lexa’s eyes soften at Clarke’s words and she nods. “And I’m sorry.”  
“Good. Thank you,” Clarke sighs. “Can I call you guys a cab? It’s time to close up.”  
Lexa shakes her head. “No. I only live a few blocks. Lincoln is going to walk us back to my place and then head home.”  
“You and Anya?” Clarke says, trying desperately to keep any jealousy out of her voice. She can’t figure out their relationship and Lexa has offered next to nothing in the way of explaining it to her.  
She clearly fails, because Lexa smirks. “She’s my sister.”   
“Oh.” The word falls heavily between them. “You’re lucky. It’s just me and my mom.”  
“You’re lucky, too,” Lexa says, her expression suddenly sort of sad. “Trust me.”  
Clarke is sort of aching to know more about this beautiful stranger, but nothing else is forthcoming. She feels a sort of panic settle over her then. She’d had a whole plan worked out. Leave her cell phone, forcing beautiful stranger to return it, look hot, be hot and awesome behind the bar, and have beautiful girl ask her out.   
Then marry her because she’s absolutely perfect and adorable and hot.   
Everything had gone according to plan up to the part where she now has to rely on Lexa to take the next step. Now that they’re standing here about to say goodbye, she wonders if she should be the one to take the next step.  
“Thanks again for bringing my phone back,” Clarke says with a smile, looking up through her lashes again.  
Lexa smiles softly. “Of course. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time you see us here. And thank you for the Griff Stiff.”  
Clarke snorts. “It’s sort of my own creation. Named after me. Griffin. Clarke Griffin.”  
Lexa nods, seemingly amused by her rambling. “Octavia mentioned that after I ordered a second one.”  
“I’m sure that’s not all she had to say about it,” Clarke grumbles, only imagining what else her friends spilled about her.  
“Not exactly, no,” Lexa agrees with a smile, but she doesn’t elaborate. She shuffles her feet. “Do you think you’d like to go out some time? Maybe dinner or coffee?”  
Clarke feels a weight lift off her shoulders and she grins. “I’d love to. I’m off Sundays and Mondays.”  
Lexa smiles. “I am too.”  
“Perfect,” Clarke says. She reaches across the bar and grabs a cocktail napkin, scrawling her name and number on it to hand it over to Lexa. “Call me.”  
Lexa smiles wider and nods once, turning to the table to watch their friends performing a rousing rendition of We Are the Champions.  
Clarke places a hand on Lexa’s arm. “I’ll have Nyko call a few cabs.”  
It takes some time, but eventually they get everyone sorted out and everyone decides who’s going home with whom. Lincoln ends up with Octavia, and much to Clarke’s relief Raven ends up with Anya’s number scrawled on her palm. Bellamy and Harper walk out together mumbling something about french fries, and soon it’s just Clarke left pulling Raven into her side as she watches Lexa and Anya pull away in the last cab. “Well that was interesting.”  
“Lexa couldn’t take her eyes off you all night,” Raven says as Clarke grasps at her hand to pull her back into the bar.  
Clarke smiles at this. “She’s so pretty, Rave.”  
“They both are,” Raven sighs happily.  
“I think we’re both in over our heads with those two,” Clarke muses.  
“You can say that again.”


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

Clarke hates dating. With a fiery passion.

She hates the entire concept of putting on the best, shiniest, cleanest, most PC version of herself so that someone might like her enough to go out with her again.

But when Lexa texted her late in the afternoon the day after she and her friends had come to the bar, she had invited Clarke out to dinner. At a nice place. And while Clarke hated the very idea of it, she went along with it willingly because all she could think about were those green eyes over candle light.

Getting ready to present the best, shiniest, cleanest, most PC version of herself was another matter altogether.

So she called in the big guns.

Unfortunately, her big guns were more like a peanut gallery.

 

_“If you don’t stop fidgeting I’m going to poke you.”_

_“That’s what she said.”_

_Clarke narrows her eyes and stares between her best friends. She’s perched on her bathroom counter and Octavia is standing before her with eyeliner pencil in one hand. Raven is reclined in the tub, fully dressed, reading Popular Mechanic and smirking at her own stupid comeback. Her brace is propped up on the edge of the tub, and every once in a while she reaches up to absently scratch under it, or press her palm to a painful spot._

_“Good one, Rave,” Octavia mumbles wryly. She points at Clarke with the eyeliner. “You stay still.”_

_Clarke rolls her eyes and follows her friend’s instructions until her make up is complete. They chat about the date. Clarke reveals that it’s a pretty standard date, dinner then maybe coffee after. But she feels butterflies just thinking about it._

_“Are you wearing pants or a skirt?” Octavia asks._

_“Skirt,” Raven answers for her immediately, pulling herself out of the tub, limping slightly, so she can rest somewhere more comfortable. “You have great legs.”_

_Clarke grins at her. “A skirt it is.”_

_“Wear the white one,” Octavia says, walking out of the bathroom and into Clarke’s closet, that connects the bathroom to the bedroom. She seems to be searching for something. “With this top,” she decides, pulling a black top._

_Clarke watches her expectantly. “Shoes, oh wise one?”_

_“Strappy ones,” Raven comments from where she’s now reclined on the bed, still reading. “Black.”_

_“Duh,” Octavia shoots back, her eyes scanning over Clarke’s shoe collection. “These should do the trick.” She glances down at Clarke’s socked feet as she hands over the shoes. “Please tell me you’ve had a pedicure in the last week.”_

_“Yesterday, thank you,” Clarke replies, sticking out her tongue._

_“Good girl,” Octavia replies with a smile. She shoos Clarke towards the bathroom. “Go change.”_

_Clarke shuts the bathroom door all but a crack while she changes, listening to her two friends discuss Lincoln and Anya._

_Octavia appraises her with a critical eye when she emerges. “Nice. I’d bang you.” She turns to Raven. “Rave?”_

_“Totally,” Raven replies, not looking up from her magazine._

_“Think you’ll bang Lexa tonight?” Octavia muses._

_“She is super hot,” Raven chimes in. “I’d totally bang her if I were you.”_

_“No,” Clarke replies. “I’m not going to bang her tonight.”_

_Octavia rolls her eyes. “Oh excuse me. Are you going to make love to her tonight?” She mimes gagging, making Raven giggle._

_Clarke drops to the bed with a sigh. “Wasn’t planning on that either.” She slips her shoes on and leans over to buckle them up._

_“Let me get this straight- “_

_“No pun intended,” Raven smirks._

_“You don’t want to have sex with her?” Octavia asks, looking dubious. “What’s the point of going out with her?”_

_“Did you really just say that?” Clarke asks. “And yes, I want to sleep with her. I have eyes. But it just won’t be tonight.”_

_Octavia shrugs. “I’ve known you for ten years, Griff. You’re not the relationship type. You find pretty things and bring them home with you. Sometimes once, sometimes four times. But then it’s over.”_

_“Finn_ was _pretty,” Raven chimes in._

_“Not bang him four-times pretty.” Octavia’s nose wrinkles. “It’s nice that you both agree on that though.” She sighs. “My point is you_ never _date people.”_

_“She’s special,” Clarke says softly, a smile tugging at her lips. She misses the look of surprise that Octavia and Raven exchange behind her back._

 

Clarke arrives first. She gives the hostess their party name and is seated at a table in a more secluded section of the restaurant that offers a beautiful view of the city. She smirks wondering who Lexa had to bribe for the last-minute reservation and this table.

Having been to several of her mother’s hospital galas and fund-raisers, Clarke knows enough about wine to order a glass that will get her through dinner. She’s itching to order something a little stronger to take the edge off her nerves, but figures it’s probably not the most appropriate time or place to get hammered, because as nervous as she is, one drink might turn into four.

While she waits for Lexa and her wine, she peruses the menu and checks her phone when several back-to-back texts come rolling in. Bellamy wishing her luck, Octavia mentioning she slipped a dental dam in her purse before she left, and Raven’s is nothing but kissy-face emoji’s.

The texts make her smile.

She sends a quick text to Octavia _. Keep an eye on her tonight. I think she’s in pain_.

“You look beautiful by candle light,” a soft voice interrupts before Octavia responds.

Clarke’s eyes snap up in time to catch a glimpse of Lexa’s little black dress before she slides (blushing rather furiously) into her seat. “Hi. Thank you.”

“Hello, Clarke,” Lexa greets softly. She glances at her watch. “Have you been here long? Am I late?”

“No, not at all,” Clarke replies quickly. “I was early.” She watches as Lexa sits stiffly in her seat, glancing around somewhat uncomfortably. “So how did you hear about this place?”

“Anya,” Lexa answers, her eyes snapping back to Clarke. She takes a sip of her water and Clarke smirks when she notices the slight tremble to her fingers. At least she knows she isn’t the only one who is nervous. “She got the reservation.”

“It’s really nice,” Clarke says. “Tell her thank you for me.”

“I will,” Lexa replies with a nod.

The waiter stops by to take their drink orders, and is gone just as quickly. The restaurant is so quiet that Clarke can’t help but feel that anything she says will be overheard by any of the nearby tables. It’s very nice, but very stuffy, and certainly not her kind of place.

Lexa is sitting ramrod straight in her chair. Her eyes are scanning the menu, but they are also scanning the room. She glances up and catches Clarke watching her, making the corners of her lips twitch.

“It’s so quiet,” Clarke whispers, and it makes a nervous bubble of laughter erupt out of Lexa, breaking the silence around them, and they both catch several people glaring in their direction.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Lexa asks. “I can’t pronounce a single thing on this menu.”

“I can’t either.” Clarke grins. “Yes. Let’s go.”

Lexa smiles and tosses some money on the table to cover their drinks and she leads Clarke out of the restaurant by the hand and into the cooling night. She immediately transfers Clarke’s hand from her right to her left so she can hail a cab.

“I know a much better place,” Lexa says over her shoulder as a cab comes to a stop before them. She reaches out to pull the door open, only releasing Clarke’s hand once she’s in the car.

“15th and Liberty, please,” she tells the driver.

“Good evening, ladies!” the cabbie greets jovially. He speaks with an accent that Clarke can’t really place. “How are we doing?”

“Trying to salvage an evening after only ten minutes,” Lexa grumbles with a reluctant smile.

“We’re doing well thanks,” Clarke interrupts with a smile, so glad to be out of the stuffy restaurant. She squeezes Lexa’s hand and meets her eyes. “Definitely not salvaging anything. It was a sweet gesture.”

“How are you tonight?” Lexa asks him, winking at Clarke and squeezing the hand in hers.

“Busy,” he tells them. “Very, very busy.”

“Well that’s good,” Clarke tells him.

“You’re going to a party?” he asks. “You’re very dressed up.”

“No, we’re on a date,” Clarke replies. “First date actually.” She smiles warmly at Lexa, watching the way the other girl’s eyes turn a little shy.

“Oooh,” he sing-songs. “Very fun. So where are you taking her?”

“She’s taking me actually,” Clarke replies cheerfully. She glances at Lexa. “But apparently it’s a secret.”

Clarke chats with the cabbie for a few blocks, and Lexa seems content to watch her, keeping a soft grip on her hand until it’s time to pay for the ride.

They both wave goodbye once Clarke has his card so she can call him again if needed, and they’re left standing on the sidewalk in front of a small, but cozy looking bar.

Clarke looks up at the sign, and then towards Lexa, who seems to have been waiting for her seal of approval. She’s relieved that Lexa seems much more comfortable now that they’ve arrived at this place. She’d been so stiff at the restaurant.

“It’s a great little place,” Lexa says. “Best bar food in the city.”

“I’m intrigued,” Clarke tells her with a grin, grabbing her hand again. “Let’s go.” She meets Lexa’s gaze when the other girl opens the door for her, ushering her inside. The bar is warm and dimly lit. There are quite a few people inside, but you’d never really know by the low hum of conversation, and it is such a stark contrast to her own place, where the music thumps loudly, and most regulars know one another and are always shouting across the bar, or laughing and telling stories.

They stand quietly at the hostess stand until a man comes into view. He seems to recognize Lexa and he hurries towards them, a smile on his face and his arms spread wide like he can’t wait to pull her into a hug. “Lexa!” he exclaims. “You don’t call, you don’t write, but you do bring a very pretty friend into my bar.”

“Hi, Tony,” she greets, smiling against his broad chest once he does pull her into his arms.

“How are you, sweet girl?” he asks, holding her at arms-length.

“I’m good, Tony,” she replies. “How have you been?”

“Wonderful,” he says.

“And Anna and Little Tony?” she asks. Clarke finds herself completely captivated by this version of Lexa. She’s warm and smiling and so at ease with this man. She wonders how they know each other.

“Anna is still too damn stubborn,” he jokes with a wink. “Little Tony is almost 5.”

Lexa looks a little wistful at this news. “Give him a kiss for me. Anna too please.” He nods, and she gestures to Clarke. “Tony, this is Clarke.”

“Lovely to meet you, Clarke,” Tony says. He finally turns to Clarke, grasping her hand and pressing a kiss to each of her cheeks as well. He wags a finger in Lexa’s direction. “You found a keeper with this one. Very sweet girl, our Lexa.”

Lexa actually seems to be blushing. “Thank you, Tony. This is actually just our first date.”

He winks at her. “Then let me show you to the VIP booth. Right this way.”

“There is no VIP booth,” Lexa whispers once they’re being led away. “He just won’t sit anyone else in this section while we’re here to try to give us some privacy.”

“Oh he doesn’t have to do that,” Clarke insists immediately, knowing how bad for business an entire open section can be.

“He wouldn’t do it if he couldn’t.” Lexa smiles reassuringly and grasps her hand to pull her along to the ‘VIP Booth’. “He won’t get many more customers this time of night.”

“Okay,” Clarke says, feeling better about the situation.

“Here we are, ladies,” Tony says, dramatically sweeping an arm in the direction of a quiet corner booth.

“Thank you,” Clarke says quietly as she slips in next to Lexa.

“What can I get you to drink?” he asks once they’ve settled.

“Whiskey sour?” Clarke says once she realizes they’re both waiting on her to answer first. “Please.”

Lexa smiles at her and turns to Tony. “I’ll have an amaretto sour, please. Thanks, Tony.”

“Of course, my dears,” he replies with a wink.

“Oh!” Clarke exclaims. She grins up at him. “Can you put a little umbrella in her drink please?” She winks at Lexa, who is glaring playfully at her. “Preferably pink. She really likes them.”

Tony laughs. “Of course, Clarke.”

“He seems very sweet,” Clarke comments once he’s gone.

Lexa smile softly. “He is.”

Clarke waits for further explanation, but none comes, so she pushes into safer territory. “So, best bar food in the city?”

Lexa looks up at her, seemingly relieved that Clarke isn’t pushing the issue. She nods. “The food is fantastic.” Her eyes scan over the menu for a few moments until she looks up and finds Clarke watching her. They both blush. “So how long have you worked at The Ark?”

Clarke feels an ache in her chest at the subject. But Lexa has no clue how close she is to one of Clarke’s big emotional landmines. “Four years. I only went full time 2 years ago.”

“And you’re…the manager?” Lexa guesses, clearly thinking back to how everyone in the bar had deferred to her on pretty much everything.

“Owner actually,” Clarke says. The ache in her chest gets bigger. Deeper.

Lexa’s eyes go wide. “You own it? That’s impressive.”

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s not really. The bar belonged to my father,” she says softly with a shrug. “I guess you could say I inherited it.”

“Oh, Clarke,” Lexa breathes, reaching to cover Clarke’s hands with her own.   “I’m so sorry. I understand. Believe me.”

Clarke looks up, meeting her eyes and she sees genuine understanding, and it breaks her heart that they have to bond over something so horrible.

Tony chose that moment to return with their drinks, eyeing their joined hands and totally misinterpreting it. He sets both drinks on the table and Clarke snorts when she sees little pink umbrellas in each of their drinks.

Tony winks down at her. “Now, what about dinner?”

Clarke immediately defers to Lexa. “You seem to be the expert at what’s good here. What do you suggest?”

“Are you allergic to anything?” Lexa stares at her for a moment and closes the menu when Clarke shakes her head. “Let’s do the southwest flatbread, the sliders- “

“French fries?” Clarke suggests with a toothy grin.

“French fries,” Lexa confirms with a barely restrained smile. “And the chicken satay?” She looks to Clarke for confirmation.

“Sounds good,” she says, handing her menu to Tony.

Once he’s gone, she sips her drink, her eyes fluttering closed because it’s made right. “Way better than the fancy wine.” She loves a good bartender. “So can I assume you used to come here a lot?”

Lexa nods, looking a little far away. “I used to work here actually.” She swallows. “Tony and Anna were foster parents of mine for about a year and a half. The last ones I had actually. Certainly the nicest.”

Clarke feels her heart stutter and her stomach flip. “Oh, Lexa.”

“Anya and I were fostered with them at the same time. It’s how we met, and he let us both work here to save up money for when we got out,” Lexa tells her softly. She shakes her head, laughing rather humorlessly, and takes a sip of her drink. “I’m sorry. Anya told me specifically that I shouldn’t mention any of this on our first date.”

Clarke smirks. “What else did she tell you not to do on this date?”

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Pretty much everything I’ve done so far. Coming here was number 1 on the ‘not to do’ list.”

Clarke laughs and sips her drink again. “I’m having a great time with you, Lexa. Honest.”

“Even after my emotional unload?” Lexa asks, looking up at her through her lashes.

“How about I even the score?” Clarke swallows another sip of her drink and places it on the table. She traces her finger around the rim of the glass for a moment. “My father died two years ago. We were in a car accident. I couldn’t save him.”

“What makes you think you should have been able to save him?” Lexa asks, reaching for her hands.

“I was pre-med at the time of the accident,” Clarke says softly, her face clouding over with memories of the sounds of sirens too far away, and the smell of copper in the air. “Following in my mother’s footsteps. He died in my arms in the middle of the street before an ambulance could even get to us. I know my mother blames me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Lexa tells her.

“It doesn’t matter.” Clarke shrugs. “ _I_ can barely look at me, so I’m not sure why I seem to think she would be able to.” She sucks in a shuddering breath and blinks back her tears. “He left the bar to me, and all I wanted to do was to try to honor his memory.”

“I’m sure he would be proud,” Lexa says seriously.

Clarke smiles, and it’s genuine and warm. “Thank you.”

There are a few moments of silence. “Well, we’re depressing,” Lexa quips, and they’re suddenly both laughing, gasping for air.

Tony is grinning from ear to ear when he arrives with several plates of food. “Here you are, my dears.”

The date lightens considerably after that. They discuss movies and music and books. They tell stories about their friends and silly antics that you can only get into living in a city as large as theirs.

They each order a third drink a few hours later, and the bar around them has gone even quieter. They’re sitting in companionable silence, each a little lost in their own thoughts about the night.

“Can I ask,” Lexa starts hesitantly, breaking the silence around them, “about Raven?”

Clarke’s smile fades and she swallows hard. She hates when anyone new asks about how her friend was hurt. It’s such a personal story and Clarke feels like she’s betraying Raven any time she’s asked to tell the story. She knows that Raven doesn’t care. She shrugs it off and tries to play it like it doesn’t still bother her, but anyone that she allows to get close to her knows that she has scars, physical and emotional, from the night she nearly lost her leg.

“She was attacked one night,” Clarke tells her, cursing when she hears the tremble in her voice. “She left the bar alone. Her and O got into a fight and I tried to get her to wait for me, but she wanted to go home. She refused to wait for a cab and she walked back to her place. It was late, after 1 in the morning. Two guys cornered her. One had a gun.” She glances up and notices Lexa’s glassy expression. “Someone caught them in the act. Surprised them. The one with the gun was on top of her and the gun went off and now she has a bullet lodged next to her spine. She only has feeling down to her knee. The brace allows her to walk.”

“They can’t remove it?” Lexa asks, her voice trembling.

Clarke shakes her head. “They risk her losing feeling in both legs. She’s in pain now, but they try to reduce it as much as possible, but at least she can walk.”

Lexa reaches out to cover both of Clarke’s hands with hers. “Why do you blame yourself for what happened to her?”

“What?” Clarke says, a little harsher than intended. “I don’t.”

“I can see it in your eyes,” Lexa tells her softly. “It’s the same look you had when you discussed your father. These things are not your fault, Clarke. You can’t fix everything.”

“I know,” Clarke says, deflating, her eyes focused on the hands holding hers. “It’s definitely easier to say than to believe.”

“Give it time,” Lexa tells her, squeezing her hands.

Clarke nods and meets Lexa’s eyes, and they’re so warm, and they’re watching her so carefully. “Thank you.” She swipes at one eye before a traitorous tear slides over her lashes. “Now who’s depressing?”

“I did ask,” Lexa points out. “And I won’t say anything to Anya. Raven should be the one to tell her.”

“What’s up with those two?” Clarke asks, her eyes narrowing, and trying desperately to lighten the mood again. “Raven won’t tell me a thing. Is Anya talking about it at all?”

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed,” Lexa says with a smirk, “Anya really isn’t the talkative type. But no, she hasn’t really said anything to me about it.”

“I mean, are they dating?” Clarke muses aloud. “Or is it just sex? I just hope they’re on the same page.”

“Anya may not be talkative, but she’s straightforward,” Lexa tells her. “She won’t string Raven along. She has no problem telling anyone exactly what she wants or expects.”

“Good to know,” Clarke says.

Conversation remains on the lighter side for the next hour. Clarke glances up and realizes how empty the bar is, and a glance at her watch tells her how late it’s gotten.

“Can I get you two anything else?” Tony says as he approaches.

“Just the check please, Tony,” Lexa tells him with a smile. He returns a minute later and Lexa is sure to swipe the bill before Clarke can even try to reach for it.

“Tony,” Clarke says softly. She watches Lexa scribbling on the bill and she turns to meet his deep brown eyes. “Thank you so much for taking care of her until I found her.”

His eyes actually tear up a little when he realizes what she’s saying to him. “It was my pleasure, I assure you.”

He hugs them both and sends them off into the night with their leftovers, and a few slices of decadent chocolate cake that they know nothing about. Clarke’s new cabbie buddy is waiting out front for them, and Lexa waits for Clarke to give him her address.

Only then does she start to freak the hell out about what comes next. She’s having an amazing time with Lexa, and doesn’t want the night to end, but she knows they both have pretty deep emotional scars and she really doesn’t want to rush into anything.

Her inner debate is broken up by the sight of Lexa leaning forward to pay for the cab. “Please keep it running for me.”

Clarke is actually relieved that the decision is made for her and it makes things much less awkward when they step out onto the curb to say good night.

“Thank you,” Clarke says softly. “For everything tonight.”

Lexa smiles, barely tipping her head. “Even the emotional unburdening?”

Clarke searches her eyes. “Especially that.” She shrugs. “I want to know you.”

Lexa’s head ducks and she smiles fully, lifting her gaze to Clarke’s again. “I want to know you, too.”

“Good,” Clarke replies, a wide, toothy smile suddenly appearing. “Second date?”

“Second date,” Lexa nods, a smile tugging at her lips as well. “Is it okay if I bring Lincoln and Anya by The Ark some time this week?”

“Of course,” Clarke replies with a nod. “You’re always welcome.” She reaches out to grasp one of Lexa’s hands to pull her closer, reaching for her other hand once they’re breathing the same air. “I’m planning the next date, just so you know.”

Lexa’s breathing hitches and Clarke leans forward, pressing their lips together softly. She feels Lexa’s arms wind around her and her lips respond to the kiss. Clarke backs out of the kiss enough to tilt her head the other way, smirking at the way Lexa’s nose brushes against hers. Their lips press softly again until there’s a soft swipe of Lexa’s tongue against her bottom lip. Her mouth opens and the kiss deepens and she presses forward until Lexa’s back is pressed against the door of the cab that’s still waiting.

Lexa backs out this time, her breathing heavy and thick against Clarke’s. Their eyes lock and they’re both clearly thinking the same thing. _Let the cab go, let’s go upstairs, together_.

Lexa’s eyes close for a moment and she bites her bottom lip. When her eyes open again, they’re not burning through her in the same way. They’re playful and sweet and so shy. She leans forward to press her lips to Clarke’s cheek.

“Until next time,” she breathes softly against her skin.

Clarke nods once Lexa pulls away. “Good night, Lexa.”

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

The next morning Clarke is woken up by the sound of her cell phone buzzing on the nightstand. She rolls over enough to grab it and notices several texts from her friends. Since Octavia and Harper work at the bar with her, they’re all off on the same days. Raven keeps her shop open the same days as the bar, so she’s always off with them too. Bellamy works from home, so he’s always available to hang out with them when they get together. It’s nice to know that their new friends keep the same schedule since the salon is open Tuesday through Saturday too.

_Octavia: Breakfast? Need deets on the date._

Clarke yawns and blinks a few times while she goes over their breakfast options _._ She settles on one fairly quickly. _Found a new place. Breakfast bar. Literally._

_Yes! Where?_

_15 th and Liberty._

_Perfect, I’ll let the others know. See you in an hour._

Clarke takes a quick shower and gets dressed. She decides she wants to walk over to the bar. She wonders if she’s being a little weird going back to the bar from her date the night before, but the food had been amazing, and she’d noticed they have breakfast hours with lots of morning cocktails, and she’d been intrigued.

She decides to walk over, since it’s a beautiful day, and she stops on a whim to pick up flowers to give to Tony to give to his wife. She feels so grateful to them for giving Lexa a home, and taking such good care of her, even if it had only been for a year and a half.

Raven is actually already sitting at the bar when she arrives. She approaches and slides an arm around her friend, squeezing her shoulders.

“Hi.”

Raven looks up and smiles, and Clarke is actually sort of taken aback. Raven looks different. She looks well-rested. She looks happy.

“Hey, Griff.” She smacks the seat next to hers. “Have a seat. Who are the flowers for?”

“Clarke!”

She looks up and smiles when Tony approaches with open arms to pull her into a hug.

“Hi, Tony,” she greets when he releases her. She holds up the flowers. “For Anna. As a thank you.”

He catches on immediately and hugs her again. “That is very thoughtful of you, Clarke. She will love them. Thank you.”

“Tony, this is my friend Raven,” Clarke says. “Rave, this is Tony. It’s his place.”

“Hi.” Raven sticks out a hand for a handshake, but gets tugged into a hug instead, leaving her a little stunned.

“Nice to meet you, Raven,” Tony says cheerfully as he releases her. He pinches Clarke’s chin gently between two of his fingers. “This one. So sweet.”

“Eh, she’s okay,” Raven jokes. She looks between them, clearly seeking an explanation, but several voices ring out behind them.

“I brought my crew,” Clarke says, tipping her head back to the crowd at the front door. Arms wrap around her middle and a kiss is pressed to her cheek. She turns to hug Octavia, then Bellamy and finally Harper in turn.

Tony smiles and moves towards the front door. “Come, Clarke’s friends are my friends, and my friends sit at the best table on the patio.”

Clarke grins and follows, noting a few questioning looks from her friends. She nods her head towards the table, in a silent gesture that she’ll explain once they’re seated.

She slides into a seat between Bellamy and Octavia and they all peruse the menu, ordering some morning cocktails to go with breakfast once Clarke has introduced Tony to her friends.

“How did you find this place?” Octavia asks. “And why is the owner acting like you’re his long lost child?”

Clarke feels a little stab in her chest, at the mere mention of a father-figure, and it must show because she hears Octavia curse.

“Sorry, Clarke,” she says softly, reaching across the table to her. “I’m an asshole. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” Clarke tells her, shaking it off. “Actually, Lexa brought me here last night. She’s known Tony for years.”

Harper glances around looking confused. “I thought you said she was taking you to some fancy French place.”

“She did.” Clarke rolls her eyes thinking about that stupid restaurant. “We left. It was horrible. It was stuffy and silent, and neither of us had a clue what was even on the menu.”

“How _was_ the date?” Octavia asks, leveling Clarke with a stare that makes it very clear what she’s asking.

“I woke up alone, if that’s what you’re asking,” Clarke replies.

“Did you go to bed alone too?” Octavia asks with a grin.

“Yes,” Clarke replies, her eyes narrowing playfully. “But thank you for pointing that out.”

“Bummer,” Bellamy remarks around a yawn. He removes his sunglasses and runs a hand through his hair. “She seems cool though. Kind of quiet.”

Clarke can’t help the silly smile that spreads over her lips. “She’s really great.” She rolls her eyes when everyone at the table exchange looks of disbelief. “I like her, okay?”

“Wow, I never thought we’d see the day,” Harper says with a grin.

“Clarke ‘Griff Stiff’ Griffin might want to settle down?” Bellamy teases. He leans forward to press his palm to her forehead, only to have his hand slapped away. “You don’t have a fever.”

“You’re gonna have more than a fever if you don’t leave me alone about it,” she warns him with a smirk.

“I think it’s really sweet, Griff,” Harper says.

Clarke rolls her eyes. “Really not a big deal.”

“It wouldn’t be, except for the fact that you haven’t dated anyone, male or female, since we were in tenth grade,” Octavia points out.

“What was his name again?” Bellamy asks, his eyes narrowed in thought. He points to himself. “Oh yeah, it was me.”

“Please don’t remind me,” Clarke tells him, rolling her eyes.

“It broke O’s heart when you dumped me,” Bellamy jokes. “She thought you two were going to become sisters one day.”

“And it turns out, we did anyways,” Octavia says, winking at Clarke.

Clarke feels a warmth in her chest whenever she’s with her friends like this. Talking about how they’re family. She’s never felt closer to anyone than she is to the other four people at the table with her.

“So,” Clarke says, glancing down at Raven, who’s been suspiciously quiet. She’s got her nose buried in her cell phone, grinning at something. “How are things with Anya, Rave?”

Raven’s head snaps up, eyes wide, like she’s been caught doing something she’s not supposed to be doing. “What?”

“You and Anya,” Harper clarifies. “Since Griff isn’t getting any yet, we’re hoping you are so we can tease you relentlessly about it.”

“No comment,” Raven says, glancing down when her phone pings. She’s suddenly smirking, a blush covering her cheeks.

“That means yes!” Bellamy exclaims, while the girls ooh and aah, teasing Raven, who has the decency to at least look a little guilty.

“Is she a total stud in bed?” Harper asks, her chin in her hand and a rather dreamy expression on her face. “Because she looks like she’d be majorly awesome in bed.”

“Majorly awesome?” Bellamy asks with a smirk.

“Not better than you, babe,” she replies, smacking his lips with a kiss.

“Come on, Rave,” Octavia presses. “Spill already. We’re all friends here.”

Clarke bites her lip because she can hear the jealousy in Octavia’s tone. She knows this can go one of two ways, and neither will be pretty. She watches the way Raven raises her head slowly to lock eyes with Octavia, and her eyes narrow just enough to notice.

Luckily, Tony has amazing timing and he returns with their drinks the moment that Raven opens her mouth, saving them all from a confrontation that could have gotten ugly fast. Clarke can’t deny that her friends do have amazing chemistry, but they’re also explosive when things turn south for any reason.

They all order too much food and another round of drinks before they toast a beautiful day.

“What about Lincoln?” Clarke asks when she notices Octavia open her mouth so she can press Raven more about her dating life.

She instantly regrets her question because two dark heads swivel in her direction the moment the question is out of her mouth, and Raven, despite looking so happy earlier, suddenly looks completely betrayed.

“Foot in mouth, Griff,” Bellamy mutters. “Nicely done.”

“Shut up, Bell,” she grumbles back.

“We’re going out tonight actually,” Octavia tells them, her eyes cutting to Raven, who is suddenly back on her phone. “Second date.” She turns to Clarke. “So, does Abby know you have a wife?”

“Fuck off, O,” Clarke says with a laugh. “No. Abby has no idea I’m even dating someone. “And I’d really like it to stay that way, Raven.”

Raven rolls her eyes, still texting away. “I do not tell your mother everything, Griff.”

“No, just how many people I’ve slept with in the last year,” Clarke points out. “That was not cool, by the way. I got the safe sex talk. Again. And it was just as mortifying the second time.”

“It was an accident!” Raven exclaims. “You know I can’t resist your mother.”

“Ew,” Clarke says, raising her hands to cover her ears. “Please don’t say another word about that.”

“That was sort of fucked up,” Octavia agrees. “I thought Abby was going to have a stroke when she realized her baby girl was a lady killer.”

“Dude killer too,” Bellamy adds with a wink at the blonde.

“Oh my God,” Clarke sighs, dropping her head to her hands. “Enough, please.”

“Does Lexa even know she’s dating a female Lothario?” Bellamy asks with a grin, popping a grape into his mouth.

“Yeah, it came up at dinner,” Clarke replies sarcastically as her phone pings from the table in front of her and she smiles when she sees Lexa’s name in a new text.

_Good morning._

_Hi._

_I know I’m probably breaking some sort of code by texting so soon, but I wanted you to know I had a really good time last night._

_I did too._

“Ooh, must be the lady love,” Harper teases with a grin, sing-songing the last two words.

“Shut up,” Clarke sing-songs back.

_So, I’m not sure I can wait a whole week to take you out. Can I take you to lunch some time this week?_

_How’s Thursday? I was going to come by the bar tomorrow night if that’s okay?_

_That sounds great! Both of those, I mean._

_What are you up to this morning?_

_Breakfast with the gang. At Tony’s actually. They make mean morning cocktails._

_Sounds fun. Tell him and the gang that I said hello. I’ll let you get back to it._

_I’ll tell them. Have a good morning, Lexa. See you tomorrow night. x_

_Bye, Clarke x_

“Oh my God, you’re actually blushing,” Octavia teases. “What the hell did she say to you?”

“Nothing,” she replies, pulling her phone out of reach when Octavia reaches for it. “She told me to tell you all hello.”

“Who the hell is this girl?” Octavia asks rhetorically, smirking at the dopey smile on her friend’s face.

Food arrives shortly after, and everyone digs in. Tony chats with them for a while about mundane things like the weather, and the neighborhood. Clarke appreciates the reprieve in the inquisition, but she knows it won’t last.

“Seriously, Griff,” Octavia says softly to her, almost as if on cue. “What’s up with you? I’ve never seen you like this with anyone.”

“I can’t explain it,” Clarke tells her with a shrug, her eyes far away as she tries to put words to the way she feels about Lexa. “At work she was this super badass, totally in charge of everything. In a totally hot, but kind of scary way. But then she came to the bar and she was quiet and polite and shy and so ridiculously adorable. I just can’t get her out of my head.”

“Maybe you should just go ahead and bang her,” Raven pipes up from across the table. “If you’re still crazy about her after that, you know it’s true love.”

“She has a point,” Harper agrees, pointing her fork at Clarke. “You always see people in a different light after they’ve seen the ceiling of your bedroom.”

Her friends manage to bring up the thing that has been gnawing at her since Lexa had dropped her off. She has never been this into anyone before, and part of her is actually nervous that it will all vanish the moment they do sleep together. Because no one has lasted much longer than that.

“You are seriously freaking me out,” Octavia says, poking Clarke with a finger. “You’re white as a sheet right now, Griff.”

“Can we talk about something else?” Clarke begs, sipping her water.

“I saw Finn at the gym yesterday,” Bellamy says.

Raven laughs at Clarke’s expression. “Yeah, that subject is way better.”

“Well,” Bellamy says, holding his arms up. “I tried at least!”

“The food here is insane by the way,” Harper chimes in, winking at Clarke’s grateful expression.

The rest of the table chimes in with their agreement and normal breakfast chatter resumes shortly after.

It was the perfect kind of morning.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

“Hello?” Clarke mumbles into the phone, not bothering to look at the screen to see who woke her up at 2 am on her night off.

She’s met with a moment of sheer silence, then a long, exaggerated sigh sounds on the other end of the line. Clarke squints as she holds the phone away from her face and notices Lexa’s name on the screen.

“Lexa?” she says softly. “You okay?”

Another brooding sigh. “Hello, Clarke.”

“Hi, sweetie,” Clarke coos, her face slipping into a smile listening to her girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

It was a new title. Something they had just recently decided on. They’d been on a few more dates since the first, with lunch dates and visits to the bar becoming a regular thing throughout the week as well.

“You sound drunk.”

“I am,” Lexa breathes out, and it’s sad and sweet and so adorable. “Anya brought me to a party, and I really want to go home.”

“Want me to come get you?” Clarke asks softly, sitting up in bed and glancing around to find some sweats.

“Yes.” Her voice _almost_ whines. But even drunk Lexa isn’t going to let that happen. “But I don’t want you going out alone at night.”

“I’ll go steal Bellamy from across the hall,” Clarke says hurriedly. “Text me the address and then I’ll bring you home with me, okay?”

“Okay,” Lexa says softly.

“I’ll see you soon,” Clarke promises softly before she ends the call.

It takes a helluva lot of convincing to get Bellamy out the door five minutes later, but after promising to let him drink on her tab for several nights, he agrees. When they pull up to the address, Clarke sees two figures sitting on the front stoop of a brick, two-story apartment building. Clarke instantly recognizes Lexa and Anya and she throws the cab door open to make her way across the street.

“Come on, you,” Anya says, pulling Lexa to her feet, stilling her when she almost tumbles over.

Clarke’s face breaks into a grin that she tries to hide when Lexa’s eyes meet hers. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Clarke,” Lexa breathes out softly, wrapping her arms around the blonde and holding her tightly for several long moments.

Clarke feels a warmth flood her insides and she grins, because she absolutely adores the affectionate side of Lexa. Her eyes cut to Anya’s over Lexa’s shoulder. “Hi, Anya.”

“Hey, Clarke,” she greets with a soft smile.

“Did you want a ride home?” Clarke asks, motioning vaguely behind her towards the waiting cab when Lexa releases her from the hug. “We can drop you off first?”

“No thanks,” she replies, tilting her head back towards the building. “Raven is waiting inside.”

“So that’s where she went,” Clarke realizes, her eyes narrowing, smirking at Anya’s blush even in the dark. “Tell her hi for me.”

Anya nods and presses a kiss to Lexa’s cheek. “See you tomorrow, Lex.” She smiles gratefully at Clarke. “Thanks for coming to get her. She was miserable here without you.”

“Bye, An,” Lexa sighs, tucking in closer to Clarke.

Clarke pulls her close and presses her lips to the other girl’s temple. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you home.”

She makes sure that Anya is back inside before they pull away and Lexa curls into her the moment the cab door shuts behind them.

“Hi, Bellamy,” Lexa greets as she slides in on the other side of Clarke.

Bellamy smiles tiredly. “Hi, Lexa.”

“Thank you for coming,” she tells him with a broody sigh. “Clarke is lucky to have you.”

He grins. “It’s no problem, Lexa.”

“I would have invited you, Clarke,” Lexa slurs softly.

“Hmm?” Clarke hums as Lexa settles in next to her.

“To the party,” Lexa clarifies, her eyes blinking slowly and she reaches for Clarke’s hand to weave their fingers together. “I didn’t know Anya invited Raven.”

“It’s okay.” She wraps her arms around Lexa as they ride back to her building, and she’s so still and quiet on the ride back that Clarke is sure she’s fallen asleep against her. Once they arrive and pay for the cab, Clarke glances down to find a very still, but very awake Lexa pressed quietly and gently against her, staring out the window.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Clarke says softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

They split up with Bellamy in the hallway between their apartments, with Clarke thanking him profusely for joining her on her middle of the night journey across town. He waves her off and bids them good morning before Clarke brings her inside.

It hits her the moment she steps through the door that this is the first time that one of them has spent the night with the other, and suddenly she’s flooded with nerves. She leads Lexa through the apartment to her bedroom, where she’s left on a small lamp next to the bed.

She guides Lexa to the bed and gestures behind her. “Lex, the bathroom is through there. I’m just going to get you some aspirin and some water, okay?”

Lexa nods and grips the edge of the bed to work on toeing off her shoes.

Clarke moves to the kitchen and fills a glass of water from the pitcher in the fridge. She grabs the bottle of aspirin and shakes a few out before shutting out the light and double-checking the front door is locked. She shuts off the rest of the lights as she moves back to the bedroom.

Lexa is lying back against the bed. Her shoes are in a pile at her feet and she’s managed to remove her jacket and toss it down next to them.

“Here you go, sweetie,” Clarke tells her softly. “Sit up so you can drink some water.”

It seems to take great amounts of effort for Lexa to roll herself over so she can sit up, and it takes everything inside Clarke not to laugh at her adorableness. “Thank you,” she says softly.

Clarke watches her swallow the pain relievers and once she’s satisfied that Lexa will finish the glass of water, she moves to the closet to find her something to wear. She gathers another soft sleep shirt and a pair of shorts and a pair of sweats, not sure how Lexa normally sleeps.

“Shorts or pants?” Clarke asks, holding up both once she emerges from her walk-in.

Lexa simply shakes her head and reaches for the t-shirt. She stands and strips off her white top, making Clarke smirk and blush and turn away in the same second, her heart skipping a beat thinking about the tattoo she spied that ran the length of the other girl’s spine.

She turns back when she hears rustling and her smirk widens when she spies Lexa’s jeans, shirt and bra joining the rest of her clothes next to the bed and Lexa crawling into the bed on the opposite side that Clarke usually occupies.

“Okay then,” Clarke whispers with another adoring smile. She slides her sweats off and crawls into bed. She flips on the small TV resting on the dresser across the room and turns off the lamp, leaving them in near-darkness.

“This okay?” Clarke asks quietly, turning her head to find Lexa turned on her side towards her, both hands tucked under the pillow. She nods silently and reaches out to wrap her fingers around the crook of Clarke’s elbow.

Clarke leans over to press her lips against Lexa’s forehead and then to her lips. “Night, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, Clarke,” Lexa breathes before she drifts off.

 

 

Clarke wakes several hours later with the knowledge that Lexa is a human furnace while she sleeps.

And she’s apparently the big spoon.

She’s also soft and sweet and pressed so close, but Clarke is literally sweating lying next to her with only a sheet drawn up to their hips. She eyes the switch on the wall and the chain on the ceiling fan above her longingly, wishing she had some sort of way to trigger the fan without waking the girl next to her, who is wrapped around her so carefully.

Lexa suddenly mumbles in her sleep and twitches, rolling away from her, and Clarke carefully sneaks out of bed to flip on the fan. She pauses for a moment and slips into the bathroom to brush her teeth before she crawls back between the sheets. She rolls onto her right side, eyes closing briefly at the relief of the fan cooling her body quickly, and she lets her eyes scan the girl next to her.

Lexa’s brow pinches in her sleep and she scoots closer to Clarke, who watches goosebumps rise on the skin of her right arm, and Clarke’s fingers itch to reach out and touch her.

Clarke can hear the subtle change in her breathing that tells her Lexa is waking up, and she watches as the other girl comes to slowly, like she’s desperately hanging on to every last moment of sleep.

A crease appears in Lexa’s brow, and Clarke gives in to the urge to touch her, reaching out to slide her hand over Lexa’s hip. She smiles when the other girl curls into her body almost immediately, and she’s warmed again by her natural body heat.

Lexa’s eyes open slowly to find Clarke watching her with a warm smile. She smiles sleepily and her expression turns rather sheepish. She pulls the sheet up over her mouth. “Good morning. Please tell me you have an extra toothbrush?”

Clarke laughs, her voice deep and scratchy from sleep, and Lexa shivers next to her. “Under the sink.”

Lexa jumps out of bed, suddenly realizing she’s only in a t-shirt and panties. “I would be embarrassed, but you clearly saw me like this last night.”

“I didn’t mind the view,” Clarke tells her with a flirty smile as she watches Lexa move towards the bathroom, blushing the entire way.

She docks her phone in the stand next to the bed. She scans her playlists to find something suitable for lounging, finding one that she loves to paint to, and she presses play, letting the sounds quietly fill the room around her.

“I like your bedroom,” Lexa says quietly as she appears in the doorway. Her eyes scan the greyish blue walls and white curtains. The style is simple with a hint of femininity that is so distinctly Clarke. There are several paintings and sketches hanging on each wall and photos are tucked into the corner of every conceivable picture frame that contain the familiar faces of her friends, and a few faces she has yet to meet.

“Thanks,” Clarke tells her with another warm smile, eyeing the other girl’s legs as she moves back around the bed to slide in beside her.

“I’d say I like your place, but I don’t really remember what it looks like from last night,” Lexa tells her, rolling on her side to face Clarke. She’s silent a moment, shaking her head with a sigh. “Thank you for picking me up. And I’m sorry I called you so late.” She presses a hand to her forehead. “Oh, Bellamy too. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be.” Clarke mirrors her position and reaches out to rake her fingers through Lexa’s hair, pushing it off her face gently. Her palm comes to rest along Lexa’s neck, allowing the pad of her thumb to trace over the other girl’s jaw. “It’s okay. I liked having you here last night.”

Lexa smiles Clarke’s favorite shy smile then and it makes her heart thump in her chest. Suddenly Clarke lifts to one elbow, leaning over the other girl, smirking when Lexa’s breathing catches in her throat. She kisses Lexa like she can’t wait another moment to. It’s soft and warm and so sweet that she holds the kiss. And holds it. And holds it.

Lexa’s tongue lazily presses to deepen the kiss, and Clarke responds immediately, warmth flooding her when she suddenly feels Lexa’s hands on her back, dancing up her spine and fisting in her thin t-shirt, pulling her closer. They exchange several slow-burning kisses, knowing neither of them has anywhere to be.

Clarke shifts when hands gently tug her even closer, so she’s lying fully on top of Lexa’s prone body. Her head spins as she feels a leg slide up and over hers, keeping her close. She’s pulled into another dizzying kiss and when it breaks, Lexa presses her forehead gently against Clarke’s.

Clarke smiles down at her. “Hi,” she says softly, unable to resist stealing another long kiss.

“Hi.” Lexa’s eyes area absolutely blazing, and it’s all Clarke can do not to lose herself in the girl beneath her until the sun goes back down.

But she wants this to be slow. She wants to really mean something to Lexa before they take that step.

“Can we just make out all day?” Clarke says softly.

Lexa’s eyes roll back for a moment and she’s suddenly smiling up at Clarke. “If that’s as far as you want this to go, you’re going to have to stop talking to me with your sexy morning voice.”

Clarke laughs and she feels Lexa shudder beneath her again. “My lips are sealed,” she whispers purposely.

“That’s not really any better,” Lexa tells her, pressing their lips together, letting her fingers scratch lazily down Clarke’s back.

“Mmm,” Clarke hums softly, smirking at the fact that even her innocent hum sounds throaty.

“Stop that!” Lexa laughs then. A full head-tilted-back-eyes-shining-everything-is-suddenly-amazing laugh, and that is the exact moment that Clarke realizes it.

She’s going to fall insanely hard for Lexa Woods.

But, if she’s truly honest with herself, she realizes she already has.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Clarke opens her eyes slowly. She blinks several times to try to get her bearings because the only thing she’s able to process is how horrible she feels. A wave of nausea hits her hard and she tries desperately to swallow it down because her head is thundering and she isn’t entirely sure she could even get out of bed. She rolls over slowly onto her back and catches sight of someone in her peripheral vision.

Lexa is fast asleep in the armchair next to the bed, her bare feet propped on the bed, legs crossed at her ankles and a blanket draped over her lap. She’s still in her dress from the night before and one thin strap hangs delicately off her shoulder. Clarke bites her lip thinking about that damn strap.

 

_Clarke pulls her front door open to find three smiling faces on the other side. Raven, Anya and Lexa, all dressed to the nines for the club, Lexa and Anya in short dresses and high heels and Raven in slacks to keep attention off her brace, all of them with their hair and makeup done. But all Clarke sees is the faint dusting of glitter across Lexa’s skin and she suddenly has a nearly uncontrollable desire to lean forward and kiss the glitter away._

_Before she can move, Lexa takes two steps closer and presses a kiss to her lips, running a hand over her hair and cradling the back of her head gently. “Hi.”_

_“Hi,” Clarke greets with a grin. She remains so close for a few glorious moments before backing into the apartment and leaving the door open. “Just let me grab my bag.”_

_She grins as she listens to Anya and Raven teasing Lexa for her greeting._

_“Where are O and Lincoln?” Clarke asks as she emerges from the bedroom. Her eyes zero in on the left strap of Lexa’s dress, hanging teasingly off her shoulder. She moves to Lexa’s side, sliding the strap back into place, allowing her fingers to trail over the soft curve of her shoulder as she does._

_“Meeting us there,” Raven tells her. She rolls her eyes. “Seriously, can you two just get it over with so we don’t have to witness the eye-fucking all night?”_

_“Right now?” Clarke says, a challenge in her eye, motioning to her bedroom._

_“Yeah right,” Anya sighs. “We might have time if there was any way in hell you could do it quickly, but something tells me that you two would have to get your ‘slow and sweet’ out before we move on to quickies.”_

_“Agreed.” Raven rolls her eyes. “But I’m still tempted to say yes. It’s sort of sickening.”_

_“It’s nice to know you two have given this so much thought,” Clarke says wryly. She smacks Raven on her good hip gently with her bag. “Let’s just go.” She waves them all out of the apartment, smiling at Anya as she does. “Hi, Anya.”_

_Anya grins and grabs Raven’s hand. “Hi, Clarke. Love your dress. Don’t you love her dress, Lex?”_

_“You look beautiful,” Lexa says softly, her eyes shyly locked on the floor._

_Clarke approaches her slowly, cupping her chin gently to lift her gaze from the floor. When green eyes meet hers, she presses their lips together. “Thank you. It goes without saying that you do, too. All of you, in fact.”_

_“Turn off the charm, Griff,” Raven warns playfully, earning another swat. “You’ve got a ball and chain now.”_

_Clarke’s eyes narrow dangerously, but her lips are trying desperately to turn off her smile. “You’re lucky we’re in mixed company right now.”_

_“Why is that?” Raven teases back. “Would you punish me?” This makes them all laugh._

_“No, I’d punch you,” Clarke says as she locks her door._

_“Careful, Lexa,” Raven sing-songs. “It seems Griff might like it rough.”_

_Their laughter follows them down the hall._

 

Clarke blinks again, trying to clear some of the haze. Then her stomach rolls. Then it heaves, and she realizes she only has a few seconds before she’s going to throw up. Her whole body sways as she gets to her feet. She can feel the alcohol in her system making her head spin as she jolts towards the bathroom.

She barely has time to fall to her knees before she empties her stomach. It comes in horrible, lurching waves, burning her throat and her nose, and making her eyes tear.

Her hands are shaking as she depresses the handle and moves to the sink. She washes her hands, and splashes cold water on her face before she brushes her teeth and blows her nose. There’s a knock on the door leading from her bathroom to the living room and when Clarke pulls it open, she’s surprised to find her mother on the other side.

“Mom?” she croaks. “What are you doing here?” Instead of responding, Abby pulls her into a warm hug, cradling the back of her head.

Clarke sinks into the embrace. It’s been so long since her mother held her like this, and she feels so terrible at the moment that she nearly breaks down into tears.

“How are you feeling?” Abby asks quietly, squeezing her gently before releasing her. She cradles Clarke’s face in her palms and lets her eyes wander over her daughter’s face. Her thumb brushes gently over the slope of her eyebrow and she winces. “You’ve broken some blood vessels.”

“I feel awful,” Clarke says softly. “What happened?”

Abby glances in the direction of the bedroom as she releases Clarke and grasps her hand, silently pulling her towards the kitchen. Clarke notices the pillow and blanket on the couch, indicating that her mother slept in her apartment the night before.

Clarke takes a seat at the kitchen table while her mother moves around quietly. Suddenly there’s a glass of water and several pills on the table before her. She chews the Dramamine first, then pops the aspirin.

“Think you can hold those down?” Abby says as she pops some bread into the toaster.

Clarke shakes her head. “I have no idea.” She presses her fingers into her temples to try to massage away some of the headache. She thinks back to the night before and struggles to remember anything past her third drink.

“Your friends called me last night because they thought you were drugged, Clarke,” Abby says, getting right to the point. “And I happen to agree with them.”

“Drugged?” Clarke repeats, her forehead creased. That would certainly explain her total blackout of the night before.

Abby reaches for the penlight on the table and checks Clarke’s pupils, then slides a thermometer under her tongue. “How much do you remember?” she asks gently.

 

_The club is loud and crowded, typical for a Saturday night downtown. The music is pulsing through Clarke as they make their way into the main part of the club. She glances back and notices Lexa dancing playfully with Anya and it makes her grin, because she doesn’t get to see the silly side of her girlfriend as much as she would like._

_“I’ll get drinks” she calls out over the music. “You guys grab a table.”_

_Octavia grabs her hand and pulls her towards the bar. “Me too.”_

_Clarke glances over her shoulder at Lexa watching her go. She winks, making Lexa smile and turns back as she nearly collides with her friend, who has stopped at the bar._

_They’re both beautiful, so they pretty much get served right away and as Clarke is waiting to pay for the round, two guys approach and invade their space._

_“Hi,” one says, to Clarke’s left. His friend is flanking Octavia._

_She gives him a short, polite smile. “Hi.”_

_“What’s your name?” he asks._

_“Clarke.”_

_“You are really beautiful, Clarke” he says._

_“You both are,” the other guy says._

_Clarke’s jaw clenches and she rolls her eyes. “Does that line ever work?”_

_“Sometimes,” he replies with a grin. “I’m David, and this is Jason.”_

_Clarke does her best to smile politely at Jason, but her shots arrive and she reaches forward to hand over her card to pay for the drinks._

_“Oh my God, let’s go,” Octavia whispers to her, leaning in close. “These two are totally creeping me out.”_

_“Let me buy your drinks,” David suggests, smiling in a way he must think it flirty._

_“No thanks,” Clarke tells him. “It’s my round, and I’m buying for my girlfriend, her boyfriend,” she says with a nod of her head at the girl beside her, “and the rest of our friends.”_

_“Who are waiting for us right there,” Octavia tells them, stepping closer to Clarke, who wraps an arm around her immediately, when Jason steps closer to her._

_The guys glance over their shoulder to see the other four watching carefully._

_Jason takes a step back and holds his hands up in a playful gesture. “Sorry about that. We’ll leave you to your friends.”_

_“Have a good night,” Clarke tells him as she and Octavia gather the shots and head to the table._

_“What was his line?” Lincoln asks with a smirk as he accepts his drink from Octavia._

_“His line?” Octavia asks._

_“His pick-up line,” Lincoln clarifies with a grin._

_Clarke rolls her eyes. “They told us we’re beautiful.”_

_Lincoln laughs. “He expected that to work? Lazy game, bro.”_

_“Everything okay?” Lexa asks, her eyes scanning Clarke’s for a moment before they drift over her shoulder to where Clarke assumes the two guys must have gone._

_“Fine,” Clarke tells her, handing out shots. She kisses Lexa quickly because it’s not lost on her that Lexa could have responded the same way she had the first night at The Ark and tried to come to her rescue. But she trusted Clarke to be able to handle herself, and it means everything to her._

_“Thank you for the drink,” Lexa says, pulling her close enough that she can ghost her lips over the shell of her ear. Her tone is so innocent, but she senses that Lexa knows exactly what their closeness is doing to her._

_It makes Clarke shiver and kiss her again because Lexa smells so good, and if all goes according to plan tonight, she’ll have Lexa in her bed in a few short hours and it will be anything but innocent._

_They tip back their shots and Octavia and Lincoln head straight for the dance floor. Clarke watches as Octavia suddenly seems to be the envy of almost every girl on the dance floor, and she has to admit the two of them have great chemistry and they look amazing dancing together._

_“Do you want to dance?” Lexa murmurs in her ear._

_Clarke looks up at her through her lashes. “I’m not much of a dancer, to be honest.”_

_Lexa smirks, and suddenly she transforms before Clarke’s eyes to the confident, sexy, in-charge Lexa, and it nearly takes her breath away. “Dance with me.”_

_Clarke nods rather dumbly and follows Lexa out to the dance floor, where Lexa finds a spot not too far from Lincoln and Octavia. She turns and pulls Clarke into her arms and begins to sway to the dark, down-tempo song blaring trough the speakers around them._

_Lexa’s hands are low on her back, their bodies pressed together tightly. They dance cheek to cheek for several songs until Raven and Anya interrupt with another round of drinks. They stand in a tight circle and tip back their glasses before they begin dancing as a group._

_Clarke laughs when Lincoln dances over to her and pulls her into his arms to dance with him. She glances over his shoulder to find Lexa dancing with Anya, watching her with bright, twinkling eyes. Octavia suddenly appears behind her, hands low on her hips as they sway to the rhythm of the bass-heavy track playing. Clarke spins in Lincoln’s arms and pulls Octavia close for a few beats, locking eyes with Lexa, who is watching with rapt fascination as she and Octavia dance together._

_She smirks and reaches a hand out to Lexa, curling a finger at her playfully. She slides out from between Lincoln and Octavia and sighs happily when Lexa pulls her in close to her body._

_“Come home with me tonight,” Clarke says, her voice low and hot in Lexa’s ear._

_Lexa pulls back to nod, eyes blazing like she knows exactly what’s being asked. Clarke presses an urgent kiss to her lips, pulling away after a few short moments, smirking at Lexa’s bewildered expression._

_She suddenly catches sight of Raven limping off the dance floor and she feels Lexa moving next to her before she can even process that she’s following Raven off the dance floor, and tugging Clarke along with her._

_“Rave?” Clarke asks, taking a seat on Raven’s good side, opposite Anya._

_“I’m okay,” Raven assures them. Her face pinches and she presses her palm to a spot above her knee._

_“That doesn’t seem okay to me,” Anya tells her._

_“We should go,” Clarke suggests. She glances up to find Lexa nodding._

_“I’ll tell Lincoln,” Lexa says._

_“We’re not leaving,” Raven insists before she can get too far away. She chugs the last of her drink on the table. “It’s just a little sore. I’m fine.”_

_“Raven- “Clarke loves Raven like a sister, but her stubborn streak is something to be reckoned with. There is never any arguing with it._

_“No, Griff,” Raven tells her. “I want to stay.”_

_Clarke stares at her for a moment, taking in Raven’s determined expression, and she nods. “Alright.”_

_“Everything okay?” Octavia asks as she and Lincoln reappear at the table._

_“Just peachy,” Raven answers._

_“Hey, guys,” a voice cuts in, and they all look up to find the same two guys from the bar earlier._

_“Did you not get the hint earlier?” Octavia snaps. “None of us is interested.”_

_“We just wanted to buy you guys a round to make up for the mix up earlier,” Jason says. He places several shots on the table before them._

_“It was a misunderstanding,” David says._

_Clarke watches Anya and Lincoln exchange a glance._

_“Thanks?” Raven says, reaching for hers and downing it immediately._

_“Bottoms up,” the first guy says, holding his glass up to everyone at the table. “Come on, let’s drink!”_

_David hands a shot to Clarke and to Lexa, holding his own up in a toast. “Cheers.”_

_Clarke stares at it for a moment and taps the rim of her glass to Lexa’s, holding her gaze over the rim of the glass. “Cheers.”_

“I remember having three drinks,” Clarke says, her brow creased as she tries desperately to grasp to any memories from the latter half of the night. “Nothing after the third one, and there’s no way three drinks did that to me.”

“I agree,” Abby says, placing a plate with plain toast down in front of her. “Try to eat something, sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” Clarke says, biting gingerly into her toast. She’s still not sure she’ll be able to hold it down. “I guess you met Lexa.”

“I did,” Abby confirms, glancing in the direction of the bedroom. “She refused to leave your side all night.” She watches Clarke carefully for a moment. “Why didn’t you tell me you were dating someone?”

Clarke lets one shoulder rise and fall in a lazy shrug, not meeting her mother’s eyes. “It’s new.”

“Judging by the way she looks at you, it didn’t seem that way,” Abby tells her with a warm smile. “She’s very sweet, Clarke. She’s polite, and kind, and she seems to really care about you. She was terrified last night.”

Clarke’s heart aches thinking about how scared she would have been if the tables had been turned, but her face shifts into a small smile just thinking about the other girl. “I really like her, mom.”

Abby reaches over the counter and place a hand over one of Clarke’s. “I’m really happy for you, sweetheart.”

They exchange a real smile, and it makes Clarke feel better, warmer than she’d maybe like to admit. Because it makes her feel guilty that she’s pushed her mother so far away since her father died. She tells herself it’s because her mother hasn’t looked at her the same way in two years, but she knows deep down that’s not really the case.

Clarke’s thoughts are suddenly put on hold when her mouth traitorously starts to water, and her stomach heaves horribly again. “Oh God,” she mumbles, sprinting for the bathroom.

Her stomach heaves on its own accord as her knees crack rather painfully against the bathroom tile, and she wonders briefly how there’s anything left to come back up.

Suddenly there are warm hands gathering her hair at the nape of her neck, and one hand holds the ponytail back while the other rubs soft circles against her back. She feels knees press gently against her hips when Lexa squats down behind her.

“You’re okay,” Lexa says softly.

Clarke stills for a moment, breathing heavily.

“Think you’re done?” Lexa asks. When Clarke nods, she helps her stand and waits patiently for Clarke to clean herself up again.

Clarke turns and looks up at her, leaning against the counter, embarrassment written clearly all over her features. “Clearly I saved all my best date material for last night.”

“Come here.” Lexa reaches for her and pulls her into a long hug. “I was really worried about you.” She hums and pulls away just enough that she can press the back of her hand against Clarke’s neck and face. “You’re still really warm. Is your mother still here?”

“In the kitchen,” Clarke replies with a nod. She turns to look in the mirror, frowning as she leans close enough to see the broken blood vessels, not only along her eyebrows, but now in her eyes as well. “Sorry you had to meet like that. Like this.”

“It’s fine.” Lexa presses one palm to her cheek and kisses the other cheek. Her eyes skate over Clarke’s features, a frown pulling at her lips at the sight of her poor eyes. “Do you want to try to sleep more?”

“Yes,” Clarke replies instantly. “Let me tell mom.” They make their way into the kitchen where Abby is sitting with a mug of coffee and her cell phone, and she glances up when she hears their footsteps.

“Feeling any better?” Abby asks, rising to her feet to approach Clarke.

“A little,” Clarke says.

Lexa releases her hand and takes a step back. She turns to make a cup of coffee, silently watching from the corner of her eye as Abby presses a hand to Clarke’s forehead.

“You still feel really warm.” Abby frowns. “But that’s pretty normal.”

“I think I just need to sleep it off,” Clarke tells her.

Abby searches her face for a moment and gives her a soft smile. “Okay, honey. I can take a hint.”

“Not a hint, mom,” Clarke replies, just barely keeping herself from rolling her eyes, because she hates the space between them, and really wants to try to fix it. “I’m just exhausted.”

Abby seems to sense her longing for sleep, because she presses her palm to Clarke’s cheek again and nods. “I’d like to have you two over for dinner soon. Bring your other friends, too, if you want.”

Clarke nods. “Sounds good. Thanks, mom. For everything.”

Abby heads towards the front door with the other two trailing behind her. She turns and pulls Clarke into a warm hug. “Call me later, okay?” Clarke nods against her chest and stays put a few moments longer.

Abby surprises them both when she pulls Lexa into a tight hug too. “Thank you for taking care of her, Lexa.”

Stunned, Lexa hugs her back. “Of course. It was nice to meet you.”

“You too, honey.” Abby releases her with a smile at them both. “You girls get some rest. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

 

“I think I want to shower,” Clarke says once the door closes. “Then sleep for a few hours.” She moves to her closet and pulls out a soft sleep shirt, handing it to Lexa. “So you can change out of your dress.” She gestures towards the closet. “If you need anything else, just grab it.” This earns her another silent nod. It makes her frown, but the smell of her own hair has her moving towards the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Clarke is towel drying her hair and in fresh clothes and she finds Lexa lying in bed staring silently up at the ceiling. She folds a dry towel out over her pillow and crawls into bed next to her, smiling when Lexa turns towards her and scoots in close.

She reaches out to sweep dark hair out of her eyes. “What’s on your mind?”

“Your mother is so nice,” Lexa replies almost instantly, and she sounds so lost, and so young. She blushes. “You’re just really lucky.”

“I know.” Clarke’s heart aches and she pulls Lexa close, winding her arms tightly around her. “She loves you, you know.”

There’s a beat of silence and Lexa looks up at her with just enough hope bubbling up through the surface of her expression that it breaks Clarke’s heart.

“Really?” she asks.

Clarke leans forward to press their lips together slowly. “Really.” _And I think I kind of do too._

The thought hits her from out of nowhere, but really she feels like it’s been inside her since the moment they met, just biding its time until just the right moment.

Lexa scoots closer into her arms and Clarke hugs her tightly to her body, tangling their legs and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

 

  

They’re awoken a few hours later by Clarke’s phone blowing up. Clarke rolls over and glances at the clock, noting it says 1:00 on the dot, so she’s sure her friends have been under strict orders not to call until at least then.

Lexa stirs next to her and wakes slowly, as she often does, content to burrow further into Clarke’s body.

_You okay?_ Octavia.

_Griff! Call us when you’re up. We camped at Bell’s._ Raven.

_Please come get them now. I love them, but they’re making me crazy._ Harper.

_I’m going to dangle Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum out the window by their socks if they don’t get out in the next 10 minutes._ Bellamy.

Clarke snorts out a laugh and responds to Bellamy first. _Send them for breakfast, then come over. We’re awake._ Then Octavia. _I’ve felt better._

Octavia responds first. _We’re picking up brunch, then we’ll be over. Need anything specific?_

_Sprite. Thank you._

“How are you feeling?” Lexa murmurs, winding an arm around Clarke and pressing her lips to the back of Clarke’s neck, then nuzzling the skin there softly with her nose.

“Still pretty awful actually,” Clarke rasps. “But the gang is bringing over brunch. Maybe it’ll help.”

“Oh,” Lexa says, releasing Clarke slowly. Her brows pinch in a frown and she sits up like she’s getting out of bed. “Should I go?”

“No,” Clarke laughs, tugging Lexa back down to the mattress. “You’re obviously invited. Stay, please?”

“Of course,” Lexa answers with a quick grin, dropping back to her pillow to pull Clarke close again.

“Oh boy,” Clarke mumbles as even the movement jostles everything inside her, making her pray that she isn’t going to continue puking up her organs. “Easy. I’m afraid too much jostling might make me go all Exorcist again. And I’m really sick of throwing up.”

“Can I get you anything?” Lexa mumbles into her shoulder.

Clarke shakes her head, pulling Lexa closer. “I just want you right now.”

 

  

Half an hour later Lexa pulls open the front door and she’s surprised by hugs from each of Clarke’s friends in turn. It makes her smile shyly and follow them deeper into the apartment to where Clarke is sitting on the couch with a blanket tucked around her.

Lexa hangs back and watches them for a moment. Octavia presses a kiss to Clarke’s cheek and hugs her tightly. “You scared the shit out of us last night.”

“I know,” Clarke says softly. “I’m sorry. Where are Lincoln and Anya?” she asks, noting the absence of her friends’ other halves.

Octavia juts a thumb in the general direction of outside. “Doing that charity thing. Cutting hair at the women’s shelter.”

Clarke’s eyes cut to Lexa, her expression kind of crushed. Lexa had been stressing for weeks over the charity idea she had pitched to Anya. It was sort of her baby and she was missing it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to miss it.”

Lexa shakes her head as she approaches. She runs a hand over Clarke’s hair, taking a seat on the arm of the couch next to her. “You’re way more important to me.”

Clarke holds her stare for a few more moments, a grateful smile on her face, until Raven drops down next to her. “Are you okay?” she asks as she hugs the blonde.

“I’ll be fine, Rave,” Clarke assures her. She’s relieved that her friend seems to be much more pain-free than she was the night before.

“Hey, Griff,” Harper says, smacking a kiss to her cheek. She frowns. “Oh, you’re really warm, sweetie.”

“Mom said it’s normal,” Clarke tells her with a shrug, earning a relieved smile in return.

Bellamy squeezes her shoulder. “Glad you’re okay, Clarke.” He smiles when she covers his hand with hers and gives it a squeeze. He moves to the kitchen with the food.

“Think you can keep anything down?” Lexa asks softly once Raven and Octavia get up to follow the food.

Clarke shrugs, looking up at her rather helplessly. “I can try?”

“Sit tight,” Lexa says, pinching her chin affectionately and pressing their lips together.

Clarke waits on the couch for her friends to return. The windows are open and it’s a beautiful, breezy day. She’s got another one of her favorite playlists filling the room, and she’s warm and comfortable on the couch. She nearly dozes off until she hears Lexa and Raven laughing about something in the kitchen and it makes her heart swell in her chest.

“Abby dropped by and said we should let you sleep,” Octavia explains as she squishes in next to Clarke on the couch. “She said you were mostly feeling better.” She studies Clarke’s face. “Damn, Griff, your eyes look terrible.”

“Let me see,” Harper requests as she settles into her seat across from the couch. She leans forward across the coffee table and winces. “Ouch. That must have been some violent puking.”

“Exorcist?” Bellamy asks with a wince.

“Exorcist,” Clarke confirms with a nod.

“Ouch,” he says. “We’ve all been there.”

“Just minus the date rape drugs,” Octavia points out. She freezes and her eyes cut to Raven, who is acting like she didn’t even hear what was said.

_A denial kind of day it seems,_ Clarke thinks to herself. She exchanges a glance with Octavia.

Lexa brings her back a plate with the usual brunch fare and a glass of ice water, and her stomach tries to rebel immediately. She can feel Lexa’s eyes on her and she glances up to make a face that clearly says _I don’t know about this_.

“You should really try to eat.” Lexa tugs affectionately on the end of Clarke’s hair and presses a kiss to her temple. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’m good,” Clarke says with a shake of her head. She smiles up at the other girl gratefully.

Lexa winks at her before she turns to return to the kitchen.

“God, Griff, how do you not just swoon any time she opens her mouth? Or looks at you?” Octavia exclaims quietly once Lexa is out of ear shot. “Like, can she turn off the heart-eyes? It’s distracting.” As an afterthought, “and kind of confusing.”

“Shut up,” Clarke replies with a roll of her eyes. “I think she’s sweet.”

“Oh, that goes without saying,” Harper says with a grin. “But I agree. She totally just made _me_ swoon just then.”

Bellamy raises his hand, but doesn’t at all seem phased by this information. “I’d like to remind you that I’m right here.”

“Oh you’re totally hot, babe,” Harper tells him, blowing a kiss his way. “But holy smokes, Lexa knows how to turn it on. Please bang her already, Griff.”

“Yeah, maybe she’ll turn it down a notch if you do,” Raven adds with a smirk.

“Fat chance,” Octavia argues. “I’m not sure she knows how to turn it down with this one around,” she says, jutting a thumb at the blonde next to her.

“Trust me, it isn’t because I don’t want to,” Clarke tells them quietly. “I wanted it to be last night, but that didn’t turn out exactly the way I hoped.”

Raven snorts. “That’s an understatement.”

“Know what I can’t figure out?” Bellamy asks pointedly around a mouth of scrambled eggs, when he spies Lexa approaching. He watches her reclaim her seat before he continues his thought. “Why would someone drug you if you were with a group of friends? Like, did he think you guys wouldn’t take care of her if she got totally fucked up, and he’d have his chance? I can’t figure it out.”

“Seriously, why waste the roofie?” Raven asks. Her face pales when she realizes what she said. “I totally didn’t mean it like that. Just, why slip a girl drugs who is with a lot of people instead of someone who’s alone?” Her face crumples. “Wow, that didn’t make it any better, did it?”

“We understand what you’re saying, Raven,” Lexa says with a kind smile, letting her off the hook.

“Oh thank goodness.” Raven smiles gratefully at her.

“What the hell happened last night?” Clarke finally asks. She isn’t entirely sure she really wants the whole story, but she’s dying to know what went down. “I remember dancing. Then those guys bought us drinks. That’s all I remember.”

 

 

_Lexa manages to get Clarke back on the dance floor once they’ve toasted with the strangers. They’re dancing close for a few songs when Lexa suddenly notices Clarke is practically draped over her._

_“Clarke?” she asks softly._

_Clarke’s head lolls back and she blinks slowly several times like she’s trying to focus on Lexa. Her movements are slow and sloppy, like she’s hammered, and it has alarm bells blaring in her head because they’ve had the same amount to drink and she barely has a buzz._

_“I’m really fucked up, Lex,” Clarke slurs as Lexa pulls her close._

_“I know, baby,” Lexa says, trying not to panic as she gathers Clarke’s body close to hers and begins to guide them through the crowd and back to the table. “Come on.”_

_“Is she alright?” Anya asks immediately, standing to help Lexa guide Clarke into the booth._

_Clarke collapses heavily into the booth and her head drops back and eyes close. Lexa kneels down next to her and cradles Clarke’s lolling head in her hands. She notices her pupils are blown wide and she presses two fingers to her neck to take her pulse._

_“Alcohol didn’t do this,” Lexa says. She glances over both shoulders trying to locate the guys that bought them the drinks. “I think she’s been drugged.” She stands upright and immediately Clarke’s head is pressed against her stomach. She rests a hand on the back of her head and one on her shoulder trying to keep her from collapsing again._

_“Clarke?” Raven says, bending to look in her eyes. “Can you hear me?”_

_Clarke seems to stare right through her, blinking slowly. “Raven.”_

_“We should take her to the hospital,” Lexa says._

_“No,” Raven and Octavia both reply instantly._

_“Clarke hates hospitals,” Raven says._

_“I don’t care,” Lexa argues. “Something is wrong and we need to get her to a doctor.” She leans down to Clarke and presses a palm to her cheek. “Clarke, look at me. Try to stay awake.”_

_“The last time she was in a hospital her father died,” Raven says to her quietly. “She will freak out if she wakes up in a hospital.”_

_“So we’re supposed to just do nothing?” Lexa exclaims, trying to tramp down on her panic._

_“I’ll call her mom,” Octavia suggests, noting Lexa’s watery gaze when green eyes turn her way. “Let’s get Clarke home and I’ll call Abby. Okay?” She looks between them, brows raised in question. Lexa and Raven both nod once and Octavia sighs with relief. “Lincoln, can you carry her?”_

_“Yeah,” he says, leaning over to scoop her up. “Run ahead and see if you can get a cab.”_

_Anya and Raven hurry towards the exit leaving Lexa with Lincoln and Clarke, Octavia trailing behind them as she dials Abby on her cell._

“It happened really fast,” Lexa tells her later that afternoon. The windows are still open and the air has started to get chilly. The others left after a few hours, wanting to give Clarke time to recoup. They’re lying on Clarke’s bed on top of the blankets, Clarke on her right side, pressed against Lexa, who is propped up on her left side, dragging her fingers through Clarke’s hair, scratching at her scalp lightly with each pass. “One minute you were fine, and the next you could barely stand.”

“I’m sorry,” Clarke whispers.

“It’s not your fault.” Lexa sighs out a humorless laugh and presses a kiss to her forehead. “It just…scared me.”

“Hey,” Clarke says softly, reaching for the hand running through her hair. She places it over her heart and presses it flat against her chest. “I’m fine.

Lexa nods, her jaw clenching with every beat of Clarke’s heart against her fingertips. Her eyes suddenly pool with unshed tears and that’s when it hits Clarke just how scary the night before had been for her.

Clarke feels a surge of emotion and pushes forward to press their lips together and suddenly she’s desperate to show Lexa just how fine she is. She deepens the kiss with a rough swipe of her tongue and her hands reach down between them to try to work her t-shirt up and over her head.

“Wait.” Lexa blinks at her, like she’s just realizing what is happening. “What are you doing?”

“Taking my clothes off,” Clarke tells her with a smirk. “And I’m hoping you’ll do the same.” She leans back enough to pull her t-shirt off and leans in to kiss Lexa again, letting her teeth sink into Lexa’s bottom lip before she swipes her tongue out to soothe the bite.

Her hands grip the t-shirt covering Lexa’s body and she meets green eyes questioningly. A slight nod has her tugging the garment over dark hair and tossing it to the floor.

She grins and kisses Lexa. “Breathe,” she commands softly

Lexa suddenly lets out a shuddery breath and she blinks, staring at Clarke like she can’t quite believe that this is happening.

Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa’s body, hugging her close and rolling to her back, pulling Lexa fully on top of her. Lexa’s knees fall to either side of Clarke’s legs and she pushes herself up so she’s straddling the other girl. She presses one hand into the mattress next to Clarke’s head and allows the other to trail over Clarke’s body, down one arm and back up again, then ghosting her fingers over her collarbones. Clarke’s hands slide up her arms and try to pull her closer, but Lexa smirks and stays put, content to continue her gentle exploration of Clarke’s skin.

Clarke’s hands dance down over her ribs, and slide around her back, trying again to pull her closer again. Lexa gives in this time, leaning in close enough to kiss her as her hands begin to work on sliding the sweats off Clarke’s hips. Clarke’s hands reach for her pants, shaking enough to make it nearly impossible to pull the drawstring free to release them.

Lexa shifts so she can remove Clarke’s sweats, then her own, leaving them in their underwear. Clarke sits up and removes her bra with a quick flick of her hand behind her back. Lexa crawls her way back up her body, pressing kisses to rapidly warming skin as she goes. Her nose skims the skin below her navel softly and her lips follow the same trail, teasing and kissing softly.

Clarke winds her fingers through Lexa’s hair, hoping to maneuver her head exactly where she wants it, but Lexa seems to have other plans as she continues crawling up Clarke’s body until they’re face to face. Clarke kisses her, hot and heavy the moment she’s close enough, still desperately holding the back of her head. One small tilt of her head allows Lexa’s lips to find her neck, and she licks and sucks at her pulse point and manages to find the spot just below her ear that makes her _crazy_.

Lexa’s lips descend lower on her neck, and lower still to the valley between her breasts before she palms one breast fully, letting her fingers tease as her mouth finds Clarke’s other breast.

“God, Lexa,” Clarke breathes.

Clarke’s heels press into the mattress, trying to find some friction and Lexa suddenly smirks up at her and pulls her body away just enough to maintain a teasing sort of pressure.

Clarke nearly growls at the loss of contact and she reaches to unhook Lexa’s bra, pulling it from her body the moment she pulls back enough to get it out from between them. Lexa sits up between her raised knees and her hands fall to the hem of her black panties. Her fingers skim the hem, teasing again and Clarke raises her hips when Lexa slowly begins to slide them down her legs so she can toss them on the rapidly growing pile of clothing next to the bed. Her body slides over Clarke’s once again, and Clarke’s ankles immediately lock at the small of her back as wetness coats her stomach.

Clarke presses her tongue into Lexa’s mouth the moment their lips connect and one hand slides around Lexa’s middle as the other seeks out Lexa’s free hand. Lexa’s fingers curl around hers and their joined hands are raised above Clarke’s head on her pillow.

Lexa’s other hand continues its slow descent, and she smirks when she finds an apparent tickle spot above Clarke’s left hip bone, making her jerk and giggle.

“Sorry,” Lexa whispers against her lips.

“Don’t be.” Clarke shakes her head. “It’s supposed to be fun.”

Lexa smiles warmly, and kisses her again and she watches Clarke’s face as her fingers finally slide through her wetness. A crease appears between her brows and her mouth falls open. Her fingers circle Clarke’s clit a few times teasingly before Clarke is suddenly squeezing her close. “Lexa,” she whines. “Will you please fuck me already?”

Lexa smirks and presses two fingers into her, earning a gasp. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

Clarke’s body begins moving against her immediately, setting a quick rhythm that Lexa struggles to keep up with until she shifts and twists her wrist to give herself more leverage.

Clarke moans, hot breath on her ear at the change of angle and her fingers dig deep into the flesh of Lexa’s back. Lexa’s palm flattens against her clit and she thrusts heavy and deep with every stroke, letting her fingers curl up at just the right moment. “Oh my God,” Clarke groans against the side of her neck.

Lexa’s forearm begins to burn at the angle her hand is turned, but she won’t even entertain the thought of changing a thing because she can feel Clarke clamping down on her fingers and her breathing is frantic and Lexa can tell she’s close.

Two more deep thrusts have Clarke’s head tilting back into the pillow and she comes moaning Lexa’s name. Lexa’s fingers slow, but don’t stop as Clarke’s body twitches beneath hers. Clarke takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a sated sigh, finally meeting Lexa’s eyes.

“You have really amazing hands,” she whispers, making Lexa smile as she slowly pulls out of her. “I’ve wanted to tell you that since you washed my hair.” Lexa begins to shift off of her, but she holds her tighter. “Stay here, please? Just for a minute.”

Lexa nods and kisses her, resting fully over Clarke’s body, turning her head so she can press her nose against the blonde’s jaw. Clarke’s hands skate over her spine, dipping into the soft notches, and through her hair, scratching her scalp lightly with each pass.

Clarke suddenly grins and rolls them over so she’s suddenly lying above Lexa’s form, smirking at the surprised look in her eye. They’re suddenly locked in a long, deep kiss, making Clarke’s heart literally skip a beat because she’s not sure she’s ever felt closer to another soul than she feels right now.

She sits up, straddling Lexa’s hips, and the blinds across the window behind her allow the sun to cast tiger stripes across the beautiful body reclined below her. Her fingers slowly trace over Lexa’s brow and the slope of her nose, and they skim over the bow of her lips and down her jaw. Her eyes follow her hands as they ghost over delicate collarbones and down her sternum, over her breasts, making Lexa’s eyelids flutter beautifully.

They continue down over her ribs and over the soft dip of her belly. They finally stop at the line of the panties Lexa’s still wearing. The backs of her fingers trace the line of cotton back and forth, making Lexa bite her lip and her hips jerk. Clarke leans forward on her free hand and kisses her softly, slowly, before she sits up and moves enough that she can hook her fingers under the edges of her panties. Her eyebrows rise with the question, earning a quick nod and suddenly they’re being dragged slowly down long, slender legs.

Clarke presses her lips to the inside of each hip bone and down each leg as they go, letting her fingers retrace the path back up her legs as she crawls back up Lexa’s body, letting the ends of her hair tease as she kisses her way back up to Lexa’s lips, closing her eyes at the desperate kiss she’s met with.

Clarke lets her hand skate down over Lexa’s body, its destination clear. Lexa grabs her by the wrist before she gets there and Clarke’s eyes snap open and lock onto the green eyes above her.

“What is it?” Clarke asks immediately, feeling the other girl tense.

“Just,” Lexa starts, biting her lip, “stay outside. Please.”

Clarke can’t explain how those words affect her, but looking into Lexa’s eyes as she says them lets her know that they have far deeper meaning than she knows. She nods and kisses her softly. “Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want.”

She holds Lexa’s gaze as she sits up, pressing the other girl’s knee to the bed so she can slide one leg up and over it. She tugs at the back of Lexa’s other knee, pulling it up and over her hip, moving close so their centers are suddenly pressed together.

Clarke smirks when Lexa hisses and her eyes roll back in her head. She begins to rock her hips, biting her own lip at the feeling. She tramps down on her own arousal, knowing she’s on a mission to make Lexa moan her name.

She leans back on one hand to gain some leverage, letting her other hand wander over Lexa’s skin, palming one breast and teasing, before skimming over her belly and back up to the other breast. Lexa’s eyes close and their hips buck in time, moving quicker by the moment.

Suddenly Lexa’s body tenses as her orgasm rips through her. Clarke continues her gentle rocking until Lexa collapses back against the pillow. Clarke untangles herself from long, gorgeous legs and crawls back up the bed, yanking the blankets down enough that they can crawl under them.

“Mmm,” Lexa hums as Clarke presses against her back and pulls her close, pressing a few soft kisses to her shoulder and neck.

“Mmm good, or mmm bad?’ Clarke asks with a grin, propping up on one elbow. Her chin rubs absently along Lexa’s shoulder as she waits patiently for a response.

“Mmm amazing,” Lexa replies softly, her eyes closed, a grin settling over her face. She rolls to her back so she can meet Clarke’s eyes. “You?”

“Agreed,” Clarke tells her with a nod and a kiss. She smiles at the droopy eyes that meet hers and she kisses Lexa again, running a hand over her hair. “You should sleep, Lex. I know you didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Lexa’s eyes map her face, a soft smile tugging at her lips and she finally nods. “You’ll be here when I wake up, right?”

Clarke feels another surge of emotion at the question, because she knows that Lexa isn’t just referring to her physical presence. She slides her arms around Lexa’s body, taking the big spoon spot for a change, and pulls her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Lexa’s body completely relaxes then and it’s not long before they’re both sound asleep.

 

(The end! Of the chapter. No one gets shot after they finally sleep together)

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Sorry we’re late!” Clarke calls as she jogs across the street with Lexa trailing after her, trying to keep up. “I’m sorry!”

“We lost track of time,” Lexa adds as she drops into a seat at the table and tries to catch her breath.

“Oh, thank God,” Raven exclaims after taking one good look at them.

Harper’s face breaks out into a slow smile as she glances between the two of them. “You’re right,” she says to Raven.

“Duh,” Raven says, rolling her eyes playfully.

“What are you two talking about?” Clarke asks.

“You two finally did it!” Octavia realizes as she emerges from the restaurant and takes her seat next to Lincoln, who does his best to hide his smirk.

When Lexa sets a rather betrayed look on her, Clarke shakes her head. “I didn’t tell them, I swear. I would never do that to you.”

“Ha!” Raven exclaims.

“Confirmation,” Octavia sing-songs.

“Lost track of time,” Harper repeats teasingly, holding up her fingers in air quotes. “You’re so easy to read, both of you.”

“It was sort of obvious,” Lincoln adds with a shrug.

“Not to be rude, but I’m fairly certain we’re here for some news that you had to share?” Lexa says pointedly to Harper with a smile.

Harper winks at her. “I’ll let you off the hook this time, Lex, but only because you’re so new to the group.” She glances up at Bellamy, who nods at her happily, and she thrusts her left hand forward to show off a glittering diamond on her ring finger. “We’re engaged!”

The entire table explodes with cheers. Each of them exchanges a hug with the happy couple.

Clarke presses a kiss to Harper’s cheek. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

Lexa hugs Bellamy. “Congratulations, both of you.”

Octavia and Bellamy exchange a long hug and it makes the rest of them smile, because the rest of them are all only children, so they all sort of envy the bond the siblings have. When they break apart, Octavia grins up at him. “Proud of you, big brother.” She reaches for Harper’s hand and squeezes. “You found a good one.”

Clarke orders a round of mimosas for the table and they toast properly to the happy couple.

“When did this happen?” Octavia asks.

Harper smiles. “This morning. He made me breakfast in bed. I spilled my orange juice all over the bed, and we were laughing, and he asked me.”

Bellamy shrugs. “I had planned on doing it tonight at dinner, but I just looked at her.” He stares at her for a minute, a smile on his face, and he reaches out to tuck a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear lovingly. “She was laughing, and she’d never looked more beautiful. I couldn’t wait.”

A chorus of ‘Aww’s’ breaks out at the table.

“Have you talked about any details yet?” Clarke asks. “Like a date?”

The couple exchanges a glance and both shake their heads. “Nope,” Harper says. “We know that it probably won’t be until next summer though.”

“Lots of time to plan,” Octavia says with a nod.

“Oh hey, don’t forget that Mom’s fundraiser gala is next week,” Clarke tells them all. “Black tie.”

“Yes!” Raven exclaims, pumping her fist in the air. “I love that thing.”

“What is this now?” Lexa asks, sipping her coffee.

“Annual fund raiser for the hospital where my mom works,” Clarke tells her. “We get to dress up and drink for free. It’s fun.”

“The food is always so good,” Bellamy adds.

“You’ll be my date, right?” Clarke says with a flirty grin, looking up at Lexa through her lashes.

Lexa smirks, rolling her eyes playfully. “Is that you asking? Pretty weak game, Griffin. Batting your eyelashes? That’s it? A girl likes to feel special.”

Clarke’s smirk matches her own. “Oh, I’ll make you feel special. You just have to say yes.”

“Oh my God, please just say yes,” Raven begs, covering her ears. “I was wrong. You two are way more disgusting now that you’ve done it.”

“Yes,” Lexa tells her with a laugh and takes one last sip of her drink, glancing at her watch, and standing from the table. “Congratulations to you both. I hate to run, but I have an appointment in ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Lexa,” Harper says, standing to hug her once more.

Clarke watches her hug Bellamy as well, and says her goodbyes to the group. They make their way to the gate leading out of the patio area to the street and Clarke grabs the lapels of Lexa’s coat, pulling her close to kiss her. “Call me later?”

Lexa smirks and kisses her again. “Of course. Have fun.” She winks and turns to make her way to work.

“Why is she working on a Monday?” Raven asks as soon as she returns. She points at Lincoln. “I thought you were closed?”

“We are,” he confirms.

“House call.” Clarke takes her seat with a nod. “She knows this woman who’s basically on bed rest. She does her hair every other Monday.”

“She’s so sweet,” Harper says with a smile. “She’s a keeper, Griff.”

“Trust me, I know,” Clarke says dreamily.

“Yeah, but come on, how long do you actually plan on keeping her, Clarke?” Bellamy says with a laugh. “You’ve never let anyone last longer than, what, a month? She’s running out of time.”

“Bellamy!” Octavia exclaims, slapping him across the shoulder. She glances at Clarke, who’s wearing a thunderous expression and seems almost stunned into silence.

“Fuck off, Bell,” Clarke says, when she finally does speak. “What kind of thing is that to say?”

“That was out of line, bro,” Lincoln says, looking just as annoyed with his friend.

Bellamy glances around at his friends’ expressions and rolls his eyes. “Come on, Clarke, seriously. You know you’re not the type to settle down, and she’s in love with you. It’s written all over her face every time she looks at you. You should just cut her loose before you break her heart.”

“Fuck you,” Clarke spits lowly, trying to keep her voice down since they’re in public, but she stands up so abruptly that her chair tips over backwards and draws the attention of several tables around them anyways. “You clearly have no idea how I feel about her if you think that she’s the only one that feels that way. How dare you say something like that to me just because I’m not engaged to the first person I dated out of college.”

“Clarke- “

“No,” Clarke says, cutting him off with a dark glare. “Save it. I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say right now.” She grabs her bag and picks up her chair, looking at Harper with the most genuine smile she can muster. “Congratulations, Harp. I’m sorry.”

“I know.” Harper nods. “Thanks, Griff.”

“Clarke!” Octavia tries.

“See you guys later.”

 

 

Clarke is fuming as she stalks the few blocks back to her apartment. She slams the door and leans heavily against it, sliding down the length of the door to collapse in a heap on the floor. Her chin quivers angrily and she does her best to bite back tears, but two rogue traitorous bastards slide down over her cheeks anyways.

She pulls her phone from her pocket and stares at it, fingers hovering over Lexa’s speed dial, but she knows she’s busy, and she isn’t sure that even mentioning this to Lexa is such a good idea. Lexa is aware that Clarke has had her fair share of lovers in the past. It’s something they discussed once, and it was never really brought up again. But bringing up something like this; a close friend who has such obvious feelings of doubt about her capacity to hold together a long-term relationship isn’t really something she wants to discuss. Ever.

She grabs her sketchbook and takes a seat on the couch, sliding her feet up under her as she flips to a clean page and closes her eyes. In her mind’s eye she conjures several images of Lexa - smiling, sleeping, laughing - and there are so many to choose from. She eventually settles on one to sketch and she opens her eyes to put the charcoal to paper.

An hour later she’s sketched the rough image of Lexa into her book and there’s a knock on her door. She takes a deep breath to try to calm herself again in the event that Bellamy has come to argue, or apologize, and she moves towards the door. She breathes a sigh of relief when it’s Octavia standing in her doorway.

“Please don’t try to justify your brother’s bullshit to me, O,” Clarke says. “I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m not,” Octavia says as she shuts the door. “I wanted to see if you’re okay.”

Clarke sighs and drops back to the couch. “I know what you guys think about me. And about my relationship with Lexa.”

“Bell’s opinion is his own, trust me,” Octavia says. She smiles warmly at the blonde. “I think you and Lexa are great. You really have no idea how happy I am for you.”

Clarke is quiet for a moment. “But what if he’s right?” She looks up with watery eyes and Octavia scoots across the couch to pull her close. “What if I do break her heart?”

“Griff, I know you’re scared,” she says softly. “But I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I know you would never intentionally hurt her. It’s clear you’re crazy about her.”

“Is Harper pissed?” Clarke asks. “I hate that we ruined her big day.”

“She’s fine,” Octavia tells her. “Pissed at Bell for being a dick. But I think she’s used to it.”

Clarke blinks and tears roll over her cheeks again. She swipes them away with the backs of her hands and gets up from the couch. “Can I show you something?”

Octavia’s eyebrows rise playfully. “As long as you keep your clothes on. Unless Lexa is okay with that kind of thing.”

Clarke lets out a watery laugh and turns towards the bedroom, disappearing for a few moments and returning with something small cupped between both hands. She sits on the couch next to Octavia and pulls her top hand away, revealing a small, black box.

Octavia stares at it for a moment and then meets Clarke’s eyes. “I’m flattered, Griff. But I think Linc and Lexa would be really sad if we ran away together.”

Clarke remains totally silent, glaring at her playfully. She slips the lid open and a beautiful solitaire diamond glitters up at them.

“It’s the diamond my dad gave to my mom,” Clarke explains quietly, plucking it from the box to hand over. “I had it put on a platinum setting.”

“Wait, does Abby know about this?” Octavia asks, eyes wide as she stares at the ring pinched between her fingers.

“No,” Clarke says. “She gave me the ring after he died. She said that they always talked about me eventually having it.”

“It’s really beautiful, Clarke.” Octavia says softly, realizing how much the ring actually means to her friend.

Clarke takes the ring back, staring at it for a moment. “I’ve known since the day I met Lexa that I want to marry her.”

Octavia’s eyes go wide and she makes a sound far girlier than either of them will ever admit and practically tackles Clarke to the couch hugging her. “Are you going to ask her?”

“No,” Clarke replies.

“What?” Octavia releases her from the hug and shoves against her to sit up, making Clarke grunt. “Why not? Isn’t that the whole point of the ring?”

“Lexa needs more time,” Clarke replies, placing the ring back and shutting the box with a snap. “She needs to trust me to know that I’m not going anywhere before I can even think about asking her to trust me enough to marry me. She only trusts 3 people implicitly. Anya, Tony and Anna.”

“Oh my God,” Octavia sighs. “Who knew you were so romantic, Griff?”

One corner of Clarke’s lips rises in a sort of smile. “Don’t say anything to anyone, okay?”

“Yeah,” Octavia agrees with a nod. “My lips are sealed.” She suddenly grins and tackles Clarke back to the couch, sing-songing about kissing in a tree, making Clarke attempt to put her in a headlock, and that’s exactly how Lexa finds them a few minutes later.

Clarke catches the movement out of the corner of her eyes and she looks up to find Lexa watching them wrestling on the couch with one slim brow raised and a smirk. “The door was unlocked, and I could hear yelling and singing, so I wasn’t sure what to do.”

Clarke completely panics because she still has the ring box in her hand, trapped between their bodies, but she manages uses her body’s proximity to Octavia’s to shove the ring at her friend in a silent plea for help hiding it.

“My brother was an asshole to your girl this morning,” Octavia explains and it makes Clarke cringe, because now there’s no hope of keeping that particular conversation to herself. “I came to cheer her up.”

“By jumping on her and singing to her?” Lexa asks. She blinks. “You have met her before, right?”

Octavia grins and hops off Clarke, heading towards the bathroom, pocketing the ring box slyly. “Gotta pee, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Lexa waits until the door is closed before she toes off her boots and flops down on the couch next to Clarke. Her head falls back against the armrest and her legs across Clarke’s lap.

“How did it go?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shrugs, dropping her arm over her eyes. “She seemed okay today. Her husband said they’re trying a new treatment tomorrow, so they’re hopeful.”

“It’s a sweet thing you do for her, Lex,” Clarke says softly. They’re silent for a beat. “You’re not going to ask about O’s comment about Bellamy?”

Lexa shakes her head, not removing her arm. “If Bellamy said something to upset you and you want to talk about it, we can talk about it. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t make you.” She peeks out to smile softly. “I won’t push.”

Clarke slides out from under Lexa’s legs and wedges herself between Lexa’s body and the back of the couch, pressing her ear over the other girl’s heart.

Octavia emerges from the bathroom and winks at her. “I guess I’ll leave you to it. See ya, girls.”

“Bye, O!” Clarke calls.

“Bye, Octavia,” Lexa replies with a warm smile.

Up until this moment, Clarke was completely convinced that she didn’t want to have this conversation, but now that they’re here, she kind of can’t stop thinking about what Bellamy said to her.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Clarke says. She sits up at the opposite end of the couch and watches Lexa remove the arm from over her eyes and sit up slowly, meeting her gaze with a cautious expression.

Her mouth suddenly runs dry and she swallows hard, because now that she’s opened the can of worms, they’re flopping around in front of her and she has no idea how to get them back in the can.

Apparently she’s silent just a little too long. “Did you actually have something you wanted to say?” Lexa asks quietly.

“Yeah,” Clarke says, shaking herself out of her stupor. “We have a great time together, right?”

Lexa is staring at her with an unreadable expression. “Right,” she answers slowly.

“I mean, I’ve had a lot of fun since we started dating,” Clarke says.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Lexa asks suddenly, her eyes blinking rapidly and surprise written all over her features.

“What?” Clarke exclaims. “No, I’m trying to tell you that I’m in love with you.” Lexa’s eyes widen and she seems stunned into silence. “Bellamy made an asshole comment earlier about how he thinks you look at me like you’re in love with me, and he thinks I’m going to break your heart. I just want you to know how I feel about you.”

“You’re in love with me?” Lexa repeats softly. Her eyes are wide and so hopeful it makes Clarke’s chest ache.

Clarke reaches forward to take Lexa’s hands in hers. “It sounds stupid and cliché, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. And I don’t expect you to say it right back to me, because I know that trusting someone else enough to fall in love with them is really hard for you. But I just couldn’t keep it in any longer.”

Lexa crawls across the couch between Clarke’s knees to press a kiss to her lips. “I do trust you, Clarke. And what I feel for you feels like love. It’s just...”

“Scary?” Clarke supplies, understanding exactly how she feels. She grips the sides of Lexa’s shirt to keep her close enough to kiss again.

“Terrifying,” Lexa whispers. She meets Clarke’s eyes like she’s completely desperate for Clarke to understand her feelings.

“I get it,” she says softly as Lexa settles along her body. She props her head in her hand and her elbow along the back of the couch. She reaches out to swipe her hand through Lexa’s hair, watching with a smile as the other girl’s head turns and falls against her chest.

“I just need some time,” Lexa murmurs against her.

“I know, sweetie,” Clarke says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere.” She settles back against the armrest and hugs Lexa close, smiling when the other girl nods off within minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

 

Clarke is lying in bed, wrapped loosely around Lexa’s naked body. Lexa’s been asleep for a few hours, but she hasn’t been able to drift off. They’d watched a zombie movie earlier and it hadn’t bothered Lexa at all, but Clarke couldn’t sleep, even going so far as to turn on the small lamp next to the bed to chase away the shadows in the room.

Her phone buzzes next to the bed, and it makes her frown, because it’s late, and late news is never good news.

_Hey, Griff._

_Raven, what’s wrong? It’s late._

_Can I come over?_

Clarke glances down at Lexa’s form, deep in sleep.

_Of course. You okay?_

_I’ll be there in 10._

_Take a cab!_

_Yes, mother._

Clarke slips out of bed and finds some pajama pants and tugs a hoodie over her head. She closes the bedroom door behind her all but a crack and moves towards the kitchen. She flips on just the small light over the table and flips the switch on the coffee maker. She’s in the living room next, pulling out the sofa bed and dropping a pile of blankets and pillows onto it from the hall closet, because if she’s right about this late night visit, she knows they will be needed.

She pulls her front door open a few minutes later and her heart sinks as she takes in the sight of her friend. There are tear tracks running over her cheeks, her make up is smudged, and there’s a light sheen of sweat covering her face, even though it’s a chilly night.

“Oh, Raven,” Clarke breathes, frowning and pulling her friend into her arms as Raven takes two limping steps forward.

Raven sobs into her shoulder and holds her desperately. “Sorry, Clarke. I just didn’t know where else to go.”

“Sweetie, it’s fine,” Clarke tells her, rubbing circles on her back. “How bad is it?” She feels the answer a moment later when Raven’s body tenses in her arms and a whine escapes her throat.

“Oh, God,” Raven sobs, her body rigid as the wave of pain rolls over her, lasting several horrible moments before it relents.

“Where are your meds?” Clarke asks as she releases Raven to help her towards the couch.

Raven shakes her head and pulls a pill bottle from her coat pocket. “I only had one left. I didn’t think it would get this bad tonight.”

Clarke thinks over her options, knowing she doesn’t have anything strong enough to get Raven through the night. But she knows someone who might.

“Raven, I’m gonna call my mom,” she says softly, depositing her on the sofa bed carefully. She helps prop Raven’s leg up on the bed, propping it up with a few pillows, and removes both of her boots, spreading a blanket out over her lap.

“Don’t wake her, Griff,” Raven says, her eyes closed and head leaned back against the couch, even as tears are leaking from the corners of her eyes and streaking down over her cheeks.

“Fuck that,” Clarke says, pulling her phone from the pocket of her pj’s. “Just sit tight.” Clarke moves towards the kitchen to make her call. She feels bad waking her mother in the middle of the night, but Abby doesn’t even hesitate to tell Clarke that she’s on her way.

Clarke drops down on the sofa bed once she ends her call and pulls Raven into her arms. “She’ll be here in twenty minutes, okay?”

Raven nods her head against Clarke’s chest, and they both glance up when the bedroom door opens and a very sleepy and confused Lexa emerges wearing a very short t-shirt of Clarke’s and pretty much nothing else. “Clarke?” Her eyes go wide when she realizes Clarke isn’t alone on the sofa bed and she grasps at the hem of her shirt and yanks it lower to try to cover as much of herself as she can.

“Oh my God,” Lexa says, backing up into the bedroom again.

“Shit,” Clarke mutters and releases Raven.

“I’m sorry!” Raven says desperately, averting her eyes even as she hears the bedroom door close. “I should go, Griff.”

“Don’t move,” Clarke commands, pointing a finger down at her. “My mom will be here soon, and I’ll be right back.”

Clarke moves to the bedroom door and knocks softly twice. “Lex, can I come in?” She hears Lexa call out an affirmative response before she slips through the smallest crack in the doorway she can create.

Lexa is sitting on the bed, and she appears to be getting dressed.

“Lexa, wait,” Clarke says, moving to kneel in front of her.

But Lexa’s hands refuse to still as she continues to pull on a long sleeved shirt over her t-shirt. “I’m completely mortified. I should go.”

“Go? No, wait.” Clarke’s hands rest over hers, finally stilling them. “Can you please give me a minute to explain?” She ducks her head so that Lexa’s eyes will finally meet hers. “Raven is in a horrible amount of pain tonight. She asked if she could come over and she was sobbing when she got here because she’s hurting so badly.” She watches Lexa’s face soften. “I can’t turn her away, you know that.”

“I know,” Lexa says softly. “I just wish you’d woken me to tell me she was coming. I almost didn’t even put this shirt on.”

“You’re right.” Lexa’s embarrassment is palpable. “I’m sorry. That’s totally on me. I just didn’t want to wake you.” She meets Lexa’s eyes again. “I’m so sorry. Please don’t go.”

Lexa must be able to sense how sorry she really is, because she nods just enough for Clarke to see it. She bends at the waist and there’s a moment where Clarke holds her breath because she isn’t sure if Lexa is going to reach for her jeans or her sweats.

Clarke lets out a sigh when Lexa stands to slide grey sweats up over her legs. Lexa smiles, shaking her head and placing a soft palm to Clarke’s cheek. “Stop looking at me like that. It’s fine. Let’s go sit with Raven.”

Clarke sighs with relief and kisses Lexa softly once. Then again. “Thank you.”

One corner of Lexa’s lips twitch in a quick smile. “Come on.” She moves to Raven’s side immediately and reaches for her hand. “Are you alright?”

Raven nods, her cheeks colored with a light blush. “It sort of comes and goes.”

“I’m sorry about that before,” Lexa says. “I didn’t know you were here, obviously.”

“How about we just let me take the blame for that entire thing?” Clarke suggests, holding one hand up.

Lexa and Raven exchange a glance and both nod. “Sounds good, Griff.”

“I’ll make coffee,” Clarke says, moving to kiss Lexa’s lips and Raven’s forehead.

She turns halfway there and grins when she sees Lexa slide an arm around Raven, and her friend’s head tilts to rest on Lexa’s shoulder.

They’re in the same position when Abby shows up ten minutes later. Abby presses a palm to one cheek and a kiss to the other when she greets Clarke. “Hi, honey.”

“Hi, mom,” Clarke says, concern coloring her tone. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” Abby moves into the apartment towards the living room. She looks completely heartbroken at the sight of Raven on the sofa bed in Lexa’s arms.

“Hi, girls,” Abby greets softly as she takes a seat on the sofa bed next to Raven’s hip.

“Hi, Mrs. Griffin,” Lexa replies with a tired smile.

“Lexa, it’s Abby, please,” Abby says with a mock-glare. “Mrs. Griffin is my mother in law.”

“Of course,” Lexa says shyly with a nod. “Sorry.”

Abby winks at her and turns her attention to Raven, who is watching her with a watery frown. She presses a palm to her cheek and then sweeps her hair out of her eyes. “How bad is it, sweetheart? One to ten?”

Raven’s eyes cut to Clarke and Lexa before turning back to Abby. “Eight.”

“Raven,” Abby warns softly, pressing a hand to her knee.

Raven swallows and her jaw clenches and Clarke reaches for her hand. “Eleven.”

Abby frowns and she digs into her bag to pull out several things. A syringe, a small vial of medicine and a little orange pill bottle are placed next to Raven’s knee.

Clarke retrieves a glass of water from the kitchen. She hands over the water as her mother hands Raven a few painkillers.

“Take these first. They’ll make you drowsy.” Abby watches as she swallows them with a mouth full of water. “Clarke, get her some shorts and I need some alcohol and cotton balls please.”

Lexa perches on the edge of the couch, and reaches for Raven’s hand squeezing it gently between both of hers.

Clarke returns a minute later with the items her mother requested and she sets them down on the mattress next to her friend.

“Lexa, help me get her up,” Abby says softly.

Lexa nods and moves to Raven’s side, carefully pulling her arm over her shoulders so she can help the girl stand. Abby’s hands begin working on removing the complicated brace, and once it’s set aside she begins removing Raven’s pants. Once they’re slid off her hips, they help her step into the shorts.

Abby stares at her for a moment. “Now I know you’re in pain. You didn’t even make a joke about me taking off your pants.”

Raven smiles weakly, but it ends up looking more like a grimace.

Abby dips the cotton in alcohol and swipes it over Raven’s leg once she’s back on the bed. She uncaps the syringe and depresses it enough to remove any air. She looks up at Raven. “You ready?” When the girl nods, she injects the medicine into her thigh.

Raven’s eyelids flutter almost instantly and her entire body slackens.

Clarke breathes a sigh of relief at the obvious relief the injection has brought Raven. She feels Lexa’s hand rubbing circles on her back and she watches her mother shifts on the mattress next to Raven’s extended leg and wraps both hands around her thigh, massaging firmly.

“You two should get some sleep,” Abby says over her shoulder as Raven sags heavily against the back of the couch. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Thanks for coming, mom.” Clarke reaches for the TV remote, placing it next to her mother on the bed, and Lexa heads off towards the kitchen, returning a moment later with a bottle of water, setting it down on the coffee table next to the pulled out couch.

“Thanks, girls.” Abby winks at them and resumes her kneading, earning a pained hiss from Raven.

They say their goodnights and Lexa pulls her towards the bedroom, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

“Please don’t say it,” Clarke says softly the moment they’re back in bed.

“Say what?” Lexa asks, turning towards her.

Clarke sighs. “The same thing everyone who has ever been in the same room with Raven and my mother always says.” She laughs humorlessly. “I think if Raven was five years older, or wasn’t one of my best friends, she and my mother would…” She shakes her head. “O has always just blown it off saying they just have great chemistry. But it’s more than that. I know it.”

“Clarke- “

“Raven is dating your best friend,” Clarke interrupts. “Did you see the way she looks at my mom? Doesn’t that piss you off?”

“First of all,” Lexa says softly, soothingly. “Raven and Anya aren’t dating. They’re sleeping together. And second of all, maybe all Raven and your mother are getting from one another is comfort.”

“Easy for you to say,” Clarke grumbles. “It’s not your mom.” She freezes, eyes wide and staring at Lexa, who has gone completely still next to her and is staring at her with an expression so hurt and betrayed that it makes her heart ache painfully. “I’m so sorry, Lexa.”

Suddenly green eyes won’t meet hers and Lexa pulls away from her, leaving considerable distance between them on the bed, her expression hard and indifferent. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” Clarke insists, scooting closer, but not touching her, her eyes locked on the way Lexa’s jaw clenches several times. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. I always get weirded out when they’re like this, and I’m pissed off that Raven is always in so much pain, and I wasn’t thinking. Please forgive me.”

Lexa remains stoic, but she nods her head, swallowing hard. “Forgiven.”

Clarke knows that it’s probably the furthest thing from the truth, but doesn’t push. She knows that pushing Lexa for actual forgiveness is selfish, and it will only make her feel better. It won’t do a thing for Lexa.

“I’m sorry,” Clarke whispers after a few quiet moments.

Lexa stares at her then, fire bubbling to the surface of her expression, and Clarke is almost grateful for the change, because anger is so much better than apathy. “Do you even realize how lucky you are, Clarke? You own a business that you love, and you live in a beautiful apartment in safe neighborhood, your mother loves you so, so much. Enough that she would never _dream_ of giving you away. You have friends that adore you, and someone that-.” Lexa cuts herself off and turns her back to Clarke.

Clarke sits silently, feeling even worse, because she knows how lucky she is and she takes it for granted all the time without meaning to. “You’re right.” Her voice is thick with unshed tears, and she swallows around the lump in her throat.

Lexa turns at the tone of her voice and she finally softens. “Clarke. I’m not trying to make you feel bad.”

“Too late,” Clarke says. She shakes her head. “But this isn’t about me feeling bad. What I said was really stupid and totally out of line, and I’m really sorry.”

Lexa finally relents and pulls her close. “I know.”

Clarke can still feel the gentle pulse of Lexa’s jaw continuously clenching against her temple, but she clutches her close anyways.

“Lexa?” Clarke asks after several long minutes of silence.

“Hmm?” Lexa hums. She presses her lips to Clarke’s forehead.

Clarke relaxes a bit at the gesture, because she thinks it means that Lexa has forgiven her, and she bites her lip, debating her next question, because she feels like the tension is gone from the body pressed to hers, and the last thing she wants is to make it flare again. “Will you tell me about them?”

“Who?”

“The foster families,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa pulls back enough to look her in the eye. She suddenly looks so young, and her expression is so vulnerable. She swallows hard. “Not tonight.”

“But some time?” Clarke asks hopefully.

Lexa nods. “Some time.”

 

 

 

The next morning Clarke, Lexa and Raven are making their way to Tony’s to meet Octavia for breakfast. Clarke walks between them, holding Lexa’s hand with her left, and her right arm is linked with Raven’s.

“There’s O,” Raven says with a tilt of her chin. She’s clearly feeling better, only walking with a slight limp.

The other two grin when Octavia catches sight of them, but Clarke’s smile fades as she takes in the stormy expression just under the surface of her friend’s tight smile. She releases Raven’s arm, but tugs Lexa to a stop before they’re within earshot of the table. Lexa’s eyes skate lovingly over her features and she reaches out to tuck a blonde curl behind her ear.

“Hey.” Clarke pulls her close by her lapels. “Are we okay?”

“Yes.” Lexa smiles softly and nods, kissing her. “I know you didn’t mean what you said.”

“But that doesn’t make the words hurt any less,” Clarke points out rather intuitively.

“It doesn’t,” Lexa agrees. “But we’re okay, Clarke. I promise.”

“Good,” Clarke replies, kissing her soundly. She lowers her voice. “Listen, ignore O if she gets bitchy this morning.”

“Why would she get bitchy?” Lexa asks.

Clarke sighs, her gaze cutting to the two brunettes chatting at the table. “Because she’s jealous.”

“Of?” Lexa lets the question hang, confusion in her eyes.

Clarke rolls her eyes. “Anyone that spends time with Raven, basically. And she showed up with us this morning, so I’m sure O went straight to the place where we had a threesome last night.”

One of Lexa’s eyebrows rises. “You think that’s automatically what she’ll think?”

“Trust me,” Clarke sighs. She grabs Lexa’s hand and pulls her towards the table.

“Hey, girls,” Octavia greets once they make it to the table, sounding chipper, but Clarke can sense a brewing storm under her words. They exchange greetings, hugs and kisses on the cheek as they take a seat at the table.

“Sleepover last night?” Octavia asks as she sips her coffee, her eyes burning into Raven.

“O,” Clarke sighs, earning a sharp look from her friend.

“What, Clarke?” Octavia snaps, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Just trying to figure out why I wasn’t invited.”

“Octavia, it wasn’t even about you!” Clarke snaps. “I don’t understand why you have to get like every time I hang out with Raven without you.”

“I had a bad night, O,” Raven interrupts softly. She sucks in a shuddering breath. “It was actually sort of horrible.”

Clarke watches as Octavia’s jealous act vanishes instantly, and her eyes widen with concern and cut to hers. “What happened?”

“I had to call mom,” Clarke tells her quietly.

Octavia’s eyes flash with something entirely new. “Why didn’t you call me?” She sounds angry and hurt and jealous, and Clarke braces for the fallout. She exchanges a glance with a wide-eyed Lexa, who clearly thought she was kidding about the way her friend is acting.

“Oh my God, this isn’t about you, Octavia!” Raven explodes.

Octavia’s eyes narrow. “I know that, Raven. But you should have called me.”

There are several tense moments, and suddenly Raven deflates. “I didn’t want to interrupt,” she says softly.

“Oh, Rave.” Octavia leans forward in her chair, pressing her elbows to her knees and she grasps Raven’s hands in her own. “Are you alright?” she asks, ducking to try to catch the dark eyes studiously avoiding her gaze. She presses a palm to her cheek, and finally Raven’s eyes rise to meet hers. Octavia’s hand lingers, fingers pressing gently against the nape of her neck, before it finally falls away.

“I’m considering the surgery,” Raven says softly, and it makes Octavia and Clarke gasp. “I talked to Abby about it last night. She’s gonna call the surgeon for me this morning.”

“When do you think this’ll happen?” Clarke asks softly. She’s totally thrown for a loop, because up until now Raven had been dead-set against the idea of this surgery.

“Hopefully as soon as possible.” Raven shrugs. “Abby said she can probably get me in to see him this week. So maybe some time in the next month?”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Octavia asks softly. She suddenly won’t meet Raven’s eyes, and she’s staring at their joined hands. “What if you can’t ever walk again?”

“The alternative is becoming a morphine junkie,” Raven says, wrinkling her nose. “Or living with this pain.” She sniffles suddenly, staring down at her hands. “I just can’t do it anymore.”

Clarke feels herself getting choked up, and sends a watery smile Lexa’s way when she feels her hand rubbing circles on her back.

“I’ve spent the last 8 hours pain-free,” Raven says. She looks up at them with tears shining in her eyes. “But I know that the medicine will wear off, and I can’t rely on it. I forgot what it felt like to not be in horrible pain. I can’t live with it anymore.”

Octavia nods, swallowing hard. She glances up at Clarke. “I hope your mom finds us the best surgeon in the state.”

Clarke reaches for Raven’s hand, squeezing gently. “She will.”

The tension evaporates once they exchange watery smiles, and the girls order food and a round of drinks and chat about anything and everything. They discuss Bellamy and Harper’s upcoming wedding, each making guesses to what they think the ceremony will be like, and they discuss the bridesmaid’s dresses and wonder if they’ll have any input on what they’ll be wearing.

Clarke watches as Octavia texts off and on throughout their discussion. She seems to grow more frustrated with each passing text. She assumes she must be talking to Lincoln, and she wonders if they’re having issues.

“Lexa?”

Four heads snap up at the unknown voice calling out to their friend. Clarke hears Lexa gasp, and she’s up and out of her chair in an instant. “Anna.”

The dark haired woman that envelops her girlfriend in a hug is beautiful. She’s dressed casually in tan slacks and a plain white button down, but she carries herself with a sophisticated charm. She pulls Lexa back enough that she can grasp her shoulders. “Sweetheart you look wonderful. How have you been?”

“Really good,” Lexa says, smiling up at her. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by.”

Anna cups her face gently between her palms, smiling warmly at her. “I know you’re a busy woman. But Little Tony misses you. He misses both of you.”

Lexa’s face softens at the mere mention of him. “I’ll come by soon. I promise.” She turns and motions to Clarke, urging her from her seat. “Anna, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Clarke. And these are her friends Raven and Octavia. This is Anna.”

Clarke rises, and that warmth is back in her chest, because this is the closest thing that Lexa has to a mother. “Hi. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Anna smiles warmly at her. “It’s nice to meet you too, Clarke. And Raven and Octavia,” she says, waving at the other two. “Tony mentioned he’s seen you a few times, and I was hoping I’d catch you here as well.”

“We love it here,” Clarke says with a smile.

Anna smiles back. “I’m glad to hear it.” She turns to Lexa, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder. “How is the salon? Is Anya alright?”

“Both good,” Lexa answers, smiling in a way Clarke has never seen when Anna slides an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. It makes her melt inside. “How have you been?”

“We’ve been very well,” Anna replies. “Thinking of fostering or adopting another. It’s been too quiet since our eldest both moved out.”

This makes Lexa grin. “Five years ago?”

Anna winks at her. “I hate that I have to run. Tony has an appointment, and I have to pick him up. But I’d love to have you both over for dinner soon?”

“Of course,” Lexa says softly. She and Anna both look to Clarke for confirmation.

“I’d love to,” Clarke tells her.

Anna smiles wider and presses a kiss to Lexa’s cheek. “It’s so good to see you, sweetheart. And it was nice to meet you, Clarke. Take care of our girl.”

“I will,” Clarke tells her with a smile. “It was really nice to meet you too.”

She presses her palm to Clarke’s cheek for a moment before waving at the other girls. “You girls take care.”

“Bye, Anna,” Lexa says with a wave as she heads off down the street.

“She’s so sweet,” Clarke says once she’s gone.

Lexa’s eyes are still on the woman, now crossing the street. “She’s amazing.”

“Who was that?” Raven asks, earning a slap from Octavia. They then appear to have a silent argument.

“Um.” Clarke stammers and drops back into her seat, watching Lexa carefully, unsure if she wants this information shared with the table. “We don’t really have to- “

“She was my foster mother,” Lexa interrupts softly. “She’s Tony’s wife.”

“Tony, as in _Tony’s_?” Raven asks, pointing to the sign above the door.

“One in the same,” Lexa replies. She smiles when Clarke grasps her hand and squeezes gently.

“Anya never mentioned her?” Clarke asks.

Raven smirks, but it’s clearly half-hearted. “We didn’t talk much.”

There’s a moment of tension, and Clarke stares between her two best friends. She downs the rest of her drink, watching Lexa do the same. Clearly they’re both on the same page of wanting to get the hell out of crazy town. She loves her friends, but the drama between them is too much at times.

“What time are you meeting him?” Raven asks Octavia, poking her with the toe of her boot, sensing that the subject could use a change.

“Who?” Octavia asks. She leans forward and swipes the pad of her thumb under Raven’s right eye where her makeup has smudged just a bit with her earlier tears.

“Lincoln.”

“Oh, um, I’m not,” Octavia says, just a hint of pink coloring the tips of her ears. “He texted and told me something came up.”

“So I get you all day?” Raven asks with a hopeful smile.

Octavia grins softly, affectionately. “I’m all yours.”

“Clearly we’re not invited,” Clarke grumbles playfully to Lexa, who smirks back.

“I’m sure I can keep you suitably occupied,” Lexa tells her, winking.

If the look that Raven is giving her is any indication, Clarke decides it’s time to make herself and Lexa scarce. She tosses some bills on the table to cover everyone’s breakfast and stands up, pulling Lexa with her. She and Lexa exchange hugs with the other two and make their way out of the patio area and towards the sidewalk.

“Griff.” Octavia stops her with a gentle tug to her wrist. She tugs her back a few feet, making sure they’re out of earshot of both Lexa, standing on the sidewalk, and Raven, still at the table. “Look, I’m sorry about before.”

“I know,” Clarke tells her with a smile, tugging her into a warm hug. “But I do wish you would figure out what you want.”

“Yeah, I know,” Octavia tells her. She stares at her hands for a moment. “And I kind of think that I have.”

For some reason this makes Clarke’s stomach flip uncomfortably. “O- “

“Relax, Griff,” Octavia says, cutting her off. “I’m done hurting her, okay?”

Clarke searches her eyes and nods. “I hope so.” She waves once more at Raven and gives Octavia a sly glance. “You two stay out of trouble. She’s still hurting, she just can’t feel it with the meds. But they’ll wear off in a few hours.”

“Got it, Doc,” Octavia teases, waving at Lexa behind her. “Go. Your wife is looking twitchy.”

Clarke rolls her eyes and shoves Octavia away. “So is yours.”

They exchange a smirk and return to the girls waiting for them. Clarke grasps Lexa’s hand as they walk back towards her place.

“Strange morning,” Lexa mumbles.

“Strange indeed.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

They’re in Clarke’s living room one afternoon. Lexa is on the couch, one foot on the coffee table, and the other is on the floor next to Clarke’s left hip. Clarke is reclined back against the couch in front of her on the floor as they both find themselves absorbed in a movie.

“Can I do your hair?” Lexa asks suddenly, raking her fingers through a few blonde strands.

“Really?” Clarke turns to her with bright, excited eyes. “Yes!”

Lexa smiles and stretches across the couch to reach for her bag, pulling out a brush and a few clips, some bobby pins and rubber bands. She sits up properly so Clarke is sitting between her legs.

Clarke’s eyes slip closed the moment hands begin brushing out and weaving through her hair, and she briefly entertains the idea of taking a nap against Lexa’s legs.

But then Lexa speaks.

“They weren’t all bad,” she says softly, and she must sense Clarke’s entire body still, because she pokes a finger into the back of her shoulder with a chuckle. “Breathe, Clarke.”

Clarke relaxes enough for Lexa’s hands and words to resume.

“A few of them actually wanted kids,” she says, and Clarke’s fingers itch to be able to touch her, hold her. “I was with a family for a few months, and they were very sweet. The Millers. They treated me like I was their own. I had my own room, and they bought me a brand new pink bike. Even though I hated pink, I loved that bike. Steven taught me to ride in the driveway.” She’s silent for a moment, but her hands never still. “But then Kate died suddenly. An aneurysm. And Steven sent me back. He said he couldn’t do it without her. He was grieving, I guess.”

Clarke literally bites her tongue so hard that it bleeds, because that excuse is such bullshit and it makes her heart ache so hard in her chest for Lexa, who so clearly thought she might have a family only to be sent back for a situation totally out of her control, but she’s afraid anything she says will break the spell of Lexa’s words.

“Some were what you would expect,” Lexa says quietly after a moment. “We were there so they could get a check from the government. We slept in sleeping bags in the basement that was creepy and smelled like mildew. Some of the boys got curious and grabby, and that’s how I learned how to fight.”

Lexa’s hands still in her hair for a moment, and Clarke bites her lip. “And some were really bad.”

“Like abusive?” Clarke asks, her voice cracking.

There’s a beat of silence. “A few were.”

It makes Clarke’s insides churn and she suddenly has the urge to turn around and curl up in Lexa’s arms.

“One broke my arm,” she says softly. “I can’t make a proper fist with my left hand because 3 of my fingers were broken so badly that they couldn’t reset them properly because they waited almost a week to bring me to the doctor.”

Clarke moves to push herself off the floor because she can’t stand to not be hugging Lexa in that moment, but a hand rests on her shoulder. “Stay there,” Lexa says quietly. “Please?”

Clarke’s eyes close and tears slip over her cheeks. She swipes them away silently and discreetly, because as hard as this is for her, she’s sure it’s much worse for Lexa, and she almost feels like she has no right to the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I called one of my foster mothers ‘mom’ once and she slapped me so hard that I lost a tooth,” Lexa says. “Then Tony and Anna saved my life.” She sniffles, but her hands never still. “I was falling into a bad crowd, and they took me home with them. Anya knocked some sense into me and got me on the right path. Anna taught us both how to cook, and Tony gave us jobs. I owe them everything.”

Clarke feels her chest constrict, because she feels a fresh wave of gratitude for the couple that rescued the girl that means so much to her.

“Anya saved enough to go to cosmetology school, then she got a job and paid for me to go,” Lexa says, love and awe pour from each word she speaks. “When she turned eighteen she got a small inheritance that let her purchase part the salon. She hired me immediately. I owe her as much as I do Tony and Anna. They’re the only real family I’ve ever had.”

Clarke can’t stand it any longer, and she springs from the floor to drop into Lexa’s lap. She wraps her arms around Lexa’s neck, squeezing when arms wind around her as well. “You’re even more amazing than I thought.” She pulls back, her eyes full of pride and adoration and it makes Lexa blush.

“Thank you for not pitying me,” Lexa says softly, pressing her lips to Clarke’s in a soft kiss.

“I would never,” Clarke tells her with a shake of her head. “You’re so strong. I’m not sure I would have survived what you did.”

“You’re strong, too, Clarke,” Lexa tells her softly, seriously. “Don’t ever doubt yourself.”

Clarke sweeps long locks off her girlfriend’s face and stares at her for a few long moments, leaning forward slowly to press their lips together. She tries to pour every single thing she’s feeling into that kiss. She wants Lexa to know how badly her heart is hurting for her, wants her to know how proud she is, wants her to know how much she loves her.

Lexa is breathless when they part, and Clarke stays close, their lips hovering only millimeters apart. Lexa’s lashes flutter beautifully as her eyes open. “What was that for?”

Clarke smirks, kissing her softly again. And again. “I just want you to know how loved you are right now.”

A faint blush colors Lexa’s cheeks, and she seems especially pleased with Clarke’s response. Clarke smiles up at her, reaching for her phone when it pings with a new text. She grabs it to read a text from Octavia. “Shit.” Her heart sinks as she reads it.

Lexa runs a hand over her hair. “What?”

Clarke sighs, her fingers working the keys as she responds to her friend. “Octavia and Lincoln broke up.”

“What happened?” Lexa wonders with a frown. “I thought they were happy.”

“I did too.” Clarke’s brow pinches in a deep frown as she reads a new text. “He told her that he felt like he was way more into her than she was into him. He said he felt like he was her second choice.”

“Did he say who he felt was her first choice?” Lexa asks.

Clarke shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Hmm,” Lexa hums thoughtfully.

Clarke’s fingers suddenly still over the screen and she looks up at Lexa, who has suddenly gone curiously silent. “What?”

“Nothing,” Lexa says, and it’s clear that it’s most definitely not nothing, but whatever she’s thinking, she’s going to keep to herself. “Sit and let me finish.”

Clarke slides back down to the floor. Again she’s lulled nearly to sleep by the gentle tugging of hands in her hair. She keeps waiting for Lexa to continue with any stories she wants to share, but the other girl remains silent.

“Can I ask you something?” she says softly after a few minutes, deciding she’s going to take matters into her own hands.

“Sure,” Lexa replies.

“The no-penetration thing,” Clarke says before she can talk herself out of asking. “Is that because of something that happened in one of your foster homes?”

“Yes and no.” Lexa is silent a moment, never halting twisting the hair between her fingers. “It happened while I was with a foster family, but it wasn’t anyone that I was living with.”

“Oh good,” Clarke sighs. She shakes her head, tilting her head back to catch Lexa’s eyes. “Not good that it happened. You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Lexa says, pressing gently against blonde locks to guide her head back down. “I was sort of dating a boy much older than me. One night we were out and it happened, and I’m not sure I ever really said yes. It was my first time and it was sort of rough and painful, and since then I’ve never liked it much.”

Clarke ponders this for a moment and cranes her neck to look up at Lexa with wide, serious eyes. “But I can go down on you, right?”

Lexa bursts out laughing, her head tilting back. “Oh my God. Yes.”

Clarke smirks at the blush coloring the other girl’s face. “Good.”

They sit quietly for a few more minutes as Lexa finishes up with Clarke’s hair. Once she’s done, Clarke rises from the floor and drops onto the couch next to Lexa and pulls her close, kissing her softly.

“Clarke?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you, too.”

 


	10. Pre-Vegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a total idiot and posted the wrong effing chapter months ago...

_There’s a knock on Clarke’s door one afternoon as she’s getting ready for work. “Griff?” Harper’s voice rings through the apartment._

_“Back here, Harp,” Clarke calls from her bedroom. She yanks on a tank top and rifles through her closet for her belt when the other blonde steps into the room._

_“Hey,” Harper greets, sounding chipper. She flops down on the bed. “Want to go to Vegas this weekend?”_

_“Always!” Clarke rises to full height and stares at Harper, wondering if she heard her right. “Any reason why?”_

_“Bell and I decided to get married this weekend and just have a big party next summer,” Harper tells her with a grin. “And I would love it if you would be a bridesmaid.”_

_Clarke actually sort of melts a little. “I would love to, Harp.” She reaches to pull her into a long hug._

_“I know things are still a little tense with you and Bellamy,” Harper says softly._

_Clarke lets out a heavy sigh and nods, moving back to her closet to finish getting ready. “He apologized.”_

_“Have you guys talked about it?” Harper asks._

_Clarke is silent, having finally found her belt. She slips it through the loops of her jeans and walks into her bathroom. “There isn’t really much to say.”_

_“Bellamy loves you, Clarke,” Harper says. “Like a little sister. I can’t justify what he said to you, because I think what he said was wrong. But after Octavia, you’re probably the most important person in the world to him. You guys should work it out.”_

_Clarke is silent for a minute. She thinks it’s sort of unfair to have Harper asking her to forgive Bellamy for what he said, and she feels a little like she’s being emotionally manipulated. But she also knows that her friends are getting married, and they deserve to be happy, so maybe if there was ever a time to be the bigger person, this is it._

_“I’ll talk to him.”_

_Harper smiles widely and hugs Clarke tightly. “Thanks, Griff.”_

_Clarke nods. She puts a brave smile on. “So when do we leave? I can bring Lexa, right?”_

_“Of course,” Harper says, getting up off the bed. “We were thinking about going Friday morning and coming back Monday night.”_

_Clarke nods and reaches for her phone to start gathering a crew to cover the bar. “Sounds good.”_

_“Flights and hotel are on Bell, by the way,” Harper tells her with a wink and a wave as she heads back to Bellamy’s place._

 

 

 

Lexa fiddles with the strap of her dress and glances at Clarke in the mirror with an unsure expression. “Are you sure this dress is alright for tonight?”

They’re in Clarke’s bathroom getting ready for the hospital fundraiser. They’re standing side by side in the large master bath at the double vanities, each in the finishing stages of applying their makeup.

“Because if it’s not, I can dig out the other black one in my bag,” Lexa says.

Clarke takes a moment to step back from the counter and look Lexa up and down, unable to stop herself from ogling a little. Okay, a lot. Lexa is dressed in a striking black, one-shouldered dress. Her hair is down, but pulled off her face and wavy and braided so it looks gorgeous, and her makeup is simple, yet stunning. “You are so beautiful.” She snaps out of her staring when Lexa smirks at her. “And that dress is perfect for tonight. The black one you’re bringing to Vegas might be a little…”

“Slutty?” Lexa provides with a smirk.

Clarke laughs. “I was going to say skimpy. Stay in that one; it’s gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”

Lexa blushes under the weight of her stare. “Thank you. It goes without saying that you look amazing,” she says softly, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her cheek, reaching out to swipe her thumb across the tiny smear of lip-gloss she leaves behind. “You’re stunning in white.”

“Hmm.” Clarke takes two steps forward and presses their lips together, maneuvering so she suddenly has Lexa’s hips pinned to the counter. Her hands frame Lexa’s waist for only a moment before they skate down to the backs of her thighs, pressing lightly to urge her up onto the counter. She nudges Lexa’s legs apart and leans in close to stand between them, pressing her tongue into Lexa’s mouth, like she can’t help herself.

Because with Lexa looking the way she does, she finds she literally can’t help herself.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” Lexa warns against her lips, smirking. Even as the words are out of her mouth, her hips roll into the blonde’s body and her ankles lock around Clarke’s body, keeping her close.

“Oh, I can finish,” Clarke promises against her lips, using her sexy, throaty voice. “Easy access in a dress,” she says as her left hand slowly trails up Lexa’s thigh.

“Let me rephrase,” Lexa says rather breathlessly, grasping at Clarke’s wrist to halt its movement before it can get too far up her dress. “Don’t start something you can’t finish in two minutes.”

“Is that a challenge?” Clarke asks, making Lexa laugh. She grins, and backs away, extending her hand to help Lexa down. They each take a moment to double check their makeup before Clarke pulls her from the bathroom and grabs her bag and coat, watching the other girl do the same. “Shall we?”

Lexa waves an arm out in front of her, allowing Clarke to lead the way. They shut off the lights in the apartment and Clarke locks the door as Lexa steps across the hall to knock on Bellamy’s door. It’s pulled open almost immediately by Octavia, who greets them cheerfully, pulling them both into long hugs.

“Come in,” she says, waving them both in with her free hand and shutting the door once they’re over the threshold.

Clarke and Lexa find everyone in the kitchen, dressed to the nines and sipping drinks. They greet everyone with hugs and kisses pressed to their cheeks, and Bellamy hands over two glasses of champagne.

“Thanks,” Clarke says, still a little icy towards him. He had apologized to her for their fight, but they still hadn’t really talked about it, and she finds that she’s still really hurt about what he said.

“Sure,” he replies, his dark eyes boring into hers, seemingly desperate to say more. “Clarke- “

“Not tonight, Bell,” she interrupts before he can say more.

“Let me get a picture of you two,” Harper says brightly, pointing her phone at Clarke and Lexa. They slide an arm around one another and lean in close, smiling wide as Harper snaps one picture. Clarke can’t help but turn her head so her forehead rests against Lexa’s temple and she breathes her in. She hears the telltale snap of another photo, but she can’t find it in herself to care as she presses her lips to Lexa’s jaw.

“You two seriously make me melt,” Harper sighs happily.

Clarke grins, tilting her head to bring her lips to Lexa’s ear. “I love you.”

Lexa’s head turns to bring their lips together softly. “I love you.”

“Shots!” Raven suddenly exclaims. She painstakingly pours her final shot, and hands out five of them, keeping the sixth for herself. They stand in a loose circle and hold their glasses up in a toast. “Here’s to you, here’s to me, the best of friends we should always be, but should we ever disagree, fuck you and here’s to me!”

“Eloquent as always, Rave,” Clarke teases with a wink.

They all tip their heads back and the kitchen is filled with various sounds, ranging from disgust to approval over the liquor picked for the shots.

“So I sort of have an announcement,” Raven says as the shots glasses are gathered up. She glances up to find she has everyone’s undivided attention. She swallows hard. “I’m getting the surgery done. In two weeks.”

“Really?” Clarke asks, a small, hopeful smile on her face.

Raven nods and smiles up at Octavia when the other girl takes her hand. “The surgeon thinks she can remove the bullet and I’ll be pain free.”

Clarke surges forward to hug her tightly, and as soon as she releases her friend, she’s scooped up in several hugs from everyone else.

“I’m proud of you, Rave,” Clarke tells her softly, smiling when her friend blushes. “I know it’s really scary, but we’ll be there every step of the way with you in this.”

“Thanks, Clarke,” Raven says.

Bellamy pulls his cell from his tux pocket. “Car is here, guys. Last call for the bathroom.” He looks pointedly to his fiancé, who gives him a toothy grin as she heads off down the hall. The others pull on coats and migrate out into the hall to head downstairs.

Five minutes later they’re getting into the back of a limo that drops them off in front of the museum and Clarke notices the rather stunned expression on Lexa’s face at the grandeur of it all, with the throngs of people, and the lights and glitz and glamour. She reaches for her hand and tugs her close. “It’s a little over the top.”

“It’s beautiful,” Lexa remarks, her eyes wide and taking it all in.

“It’s boring,” Raven whispers conspiratorially. “But the food is good and the drinks are free.”

They head inside and it’s what you would expect for a massive hospital gala. There are people milling about in loose circles as waiters in white coats and ties carry trays filled with flutes of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

“Clarke, Lexa!”

They all turn and find Abby, looking stunning in a floor-length red gown. Her hair hangs straight over her shoulders and she’s smiling brightly at them.

“Hi, kids,” she greets, hugging each of them in turn.

“Hi, mom,” Clarke says as her mother pulls her in. She stands back to watch as Lexa is pulled into her mother’s arms and they chat quietly for a moment.

“So, what time is your flight in the morning?” she asks, wrapping an arm around Lexa’s shoulders.

“We leave at five,” Bellamy tells her, winking at Harper.

“Congratulations again.” Abby smiles warmly at them both. “I have a gift for you at the house. Next time you’re by for dinner, I’ll be sure you get it.”

“Thanks, Abby,” Harper tells her.

“Have fun tonight,” Abby tells them. “The silent auction has a few wonderful options that could be nice for a honeymoon,” she says pointedly to him, then turns her pointed gaze on her daughter. “Or a romantic getaway?”

Clarke rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Hint taken, mom.”

“I think you kids are at table 21.” Abby winks at her. “Find me before you leave, honey. Okay?”

“Sure,” Clarke nods.

Abby pulls Raven away for a moment and the two of them chat for a few minutes, and it makes Clarke smirk because Octavia refuses to take her eyes off them for even a moment. Abby waves at them all as she’s swept away by a donor, and Clarke watches Octavia have a hushed conversation with Raven. She watches the way they look at each other, and when she glances over at Lexa, she finds her watching them with a warm smile, too.

“Come on,” Clarke says, grasping her hand. “Let’s find a drink, and check out the silent auction.”

“Clarke- “

“Maybe I want to see if there are any beautiful, warm, romantic places I can take you to have you to myself for a week,” Clarke tells her, her voice dropping low and sexy.

Lexa shivers. “That does sound appealing. But I’m sure they’re all ridiculously expensive.”

“Hmm.” Clarke sighs happily. “But think; palm trees, bikinis, drinks with little umbrellas in them.” The last part makes Lexa snort with laughter. “Sand, sun, snorkeling, sea life.”

“Okay, that’s enough alliteration for one night,” Lexa says with a laugh.

“Or,” Clarke continues pointedly, smiling a wide, toothy grin. “You and me in bed for seven days in a private villa. Candles, long bubble baths, room service.”

“Okay, okay,” Lexa finally relents. “Twist my arm why don’t you?”

“I knew I’d get you to crack,” Clarke says with a grin as she pulls her away. “You’re so easy.”

 

 

Clarke bids on several things. She finds a few trips that look especially promising, and she finds that now that she’s got her heart set on taking Lexa somewhere romantic, she can’t seem to stop picturing it. The way they could lounge in bed all day, drink and make love. To have Lexa in a bikini in a hammock on the beach while the sun bakes them sounds like an actual dream come true.

Lexa protests nearly the entire time she fills out her bids, until she sees the package for the trip to Barbados that sounds absolutely heavenly. Clarke is sure to over-bid so there’s no chance she won’t be going home with that particular trip.

They find their table and sit through a few boring speeches about donating to the hospital. Abby says a few words near the end before dinner is served. The gang eats their fill of salmon and filet, and they drink the fancy champagne until it’s time to dance.

Bellamy pulls Harper on the floor first, claiming it’s a good chance to practice for the wedding reception they plan on having one day, but Clarke knows it’s just because he wants an excuse to hold her close. It’s the same excuse she has for asking Lexa to dance with her a few songs later. She smirks when she notices Octavia has managed to coax Raven onto the dance floor for a few of the slower songs where swaying will do.

A faster song comes on and Raven limps off the dance floor, waving Octavia off because she knows how much she likes the song, so Clarke pulls Octavia over to her and they spread out in a five person circle to dance it out.

Lexa suddenly frowns and pulls her cell from her clutch. She holds up one finger to Clarke as she answers the call. She presses her index finger to her ear, and points over her head, signaling to Clarke that she’s going to take the call elsewhere.

“Want me to come with?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shakes her head. “Can you hear me? Anya?” She leans forward to kiss Clarke quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

Octavia slides up to her and grabs her hands, spinning her in an easy circle. “I can’t wait to get to Vegas tomorrow!”

Clarke tries to smile back with matching enthusiasm, but her eyes are trained on Lexa as she moves through the crowd.

 

 

Twenty minutes later Clarke frowns and slowly turns in a circle, trying to take in every face that she can as she does, but there are hundreds of people around her and she’s still unable to find Lexa. She’s about to head back to the table, but decides to retrace Lexa’s steps once more, and that’s when she spots red and white flashing lights just outside the propped open side door to her left.

She makes her way to the door slowly, a sinking feeling that she can’t explain filling her gut as she reaches the doorway. The feeling explodes into full-blown panic when she spots a very familiar body lying on the cold concrete about to be rolled onto a backboard so she can be lifted onto a stretcher.

“Oh my God,” Clarke breathes and she’s sprinting towards her. “Lexa!” She skids to a stop and kneels next to her unconscious, prone body.

“Ma’am please,” one paramedic says, holding his arm up to shield Lexa’s body. “We need room to work, please step back.”

“What happened to her?” she asks in a panic as her eyes sweep over Lexa’s body. She’s bleeding from a cut above one of her eyes, and Clarke can see blood on the pavement under Lexa’s head. It makes her stomach turn and she swallows the urge to throw up. Her hands instinctively reach to put pressure on both wounds.

She panics almost instantly because Lexa is so cold. She’s so used to the other girl being her own personal space heater, and to feel cold, clammy skin against her palms freaks her right the hell out.

“You know this girl?” the paramedic asks. He nudges her out of the way, replacing her hands with two thick gauze pads. She holds them in place as he begins to wrap them with a long strip of gauze around Lexa’s head.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Clarke says, and somehow it’s not until this moment that she realizes the word doesn’t seem to be enough. Sure, technically Lexa is her girlfriend. But she feels like that term is reserved for high school, but what do you call someone who is more than a girlfriend but not quite a fiancé?

And suddenly she’s kneeling on the pavement next to someone else that she loves, and she has their blood on her hands and on her clothes. She fights the flashbacks that haunted her dreams for months after her father died. She tells herself that now isn’t the time to give in to them. Not when there’s another person bleeding on the ground before her.

She helps them roll her onto the backboard and the paramedics get her loaded onto the stretcher, one glances her way before he shuts the door behind them. “You coming?”

 

 

 

They’re halfway to the hospital when Clarke realizes that she didn’t even tell anyone what happened or where she was going, and she realizes with a curse that she doesn’t even have her phone or her purse with her because she left it on the table thinking she’d only be a minute when she left to try to find Lexa.

She’s given the paramedic all of her knowledge about Lexa’s personal information and as much of her medical history that she’s aware of. She’s watched him insert an IV and treat as many of Lexa’s wounds as he can see as Lexa fades in and out of consciousness. She’s nervously holding Lexa’s hand the entire way, trying to ignore the wailing siren above her head and how it’s singing a song she’s too familiar with.

They pull up to the hospital and the paramedics get Lexa out, only stopping long enough to point Clarke towards the phone in the waiting room.

“Clarke?”

She turns at the sound of her name and finds Carol, one of her mother’s colleagues, and also her favorite ER nurse coming through the door from the emergency room.

“Honey, what happened to you?” Carol asks once Clarke turns to her and she gets a good look at her.

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s not my blood. My girlfriend was attacked.” She realizes how she must look as she glances down to notice blood smeared across her dress and trickling down one of her knees.

“What’s her name?” Carol asks, grabbing a tablet from behind the desk.

“Lexa-. Uh, Alexandria Woods.”

Carol taps away and studies the tablet for a moment. “Looks like they’re taking her up to CT now. Honey, sit tight, I’ll get you some clothes to change into.”

Clarke’s hands are trembling. She holds them out before her, staring at the blood covering them and she’s hit by a memory so hard that she’s afraid it might knock her off her feet in the waiting room.

_The paramedics yelling at her to get out of the way._

_Her mother shaking her, begging her for answers._

_The doctors telling them both that he was gone._

“Clarke?” Carol calls as she approaches, startling Clarke from her memories. She looks concerned as she hands over the scrubs. She notices her bloody hands and seems to think better of it, guiding her down the hall to a bathroom where she can clean up. She leaves the scrubs on a shelf by the door. “Where’s your mom, honey?”

Clarke swallows, staring at her trembling hands again. “Still at the fundraiser. I don’t have my phone.”

“I’ll call her.” Carol smiles warmly at her. “Get yourself cleaned up and come back to the desk, okay?”

“Can you ask her to bring my purse? It has my phone.”

“Sure, honey. Go change.”

Clarke wills herself to take her time cleaning herself up, knowing that it’ll be a while until she can even see Lexa. Her hands are still shaking as she scrubs the blood out from under her nails. Once her hands are clean she splashes water on her face and scrubs off all the makeup and pulls her hair back off her face.

 

 

Her mother arrives twenty minutes later, and she’s surprised to see her arrive alone. “I didn’t have time to find your friends,” she says by way of explanation as she grabs Clarke’s hand and guides her through the hospital towards the locker room. She changes quickly and heads towards the ER.

Clarke waits nearby as Abby speaks to a few people at the nurses’ station, and she sets expectant eyes on her mother the moment she’s close enough.

“They just brought her back,” Abby tells her, pointing down the wall of curtained off beds. “She’s been in and out, and has a grade 2 concussion. Curtain 13. I’ll be right there.”

Clarke smiles gratefully at her and jogs off down towards the curtain. When she steps into the curtained area she finds Lexa alone, and sleeping. She has a large white bandage above her eye, and gauze is wrapped around her head to keep another bandage in place at the back of her head.

The curtain slides open again and Clarke expects to find her mother, but another nurse steps in. “Hi there. I’m Nina.”

“Clarke,” she replies. “Is she alright?”

“Who are you?” Nina asks. She’s not rude, but she’s certainly not warm. And she certainly strikes an odd contrast to Carol and the rest of the nurses that Clarke knows who work with her mom.

“Her girlfriend,” Clarke says.

“Sorry,” Nina replies, moving towards the bank of machines hooked up to Lexa. “I can’t tell you unless you’re family.”

“She doesn’t have any blood relatives,” Clarke says softly, but forcefully. She peeks out the curtain, willing her mother to come to her rescue. But all is quiet. “Can’t you tell me anything? Two men attacked her in a parking lot. I just want to know if she was-” She cuts herself off as her worst fear comes to mind.

“I’m sorry,” Nina says. “I can’t tell you. I have to prep her for stitches. The plastic surgeon should be here any minute.”

“Please,” Clarke begs.

“Was there evidence of sexual assault, Nina?” Abby’s voice suddenly asks from behind Clarke, and she sighs with relief.

“Dr. Griffin, you know I can’t tell either of you that information,” Nina says.

“Please, Nina, Clarke is Lexa’s partner, and she has no family nearby,” Abby says softly. “I’ll take full responsibility if anyone tries to make this come back on you.”

There’s a pause and Clarke holds her breath. “No. There was no evidence of sexual assault.”

“Oh, thank God,” Clarke sighs. She slumps against her mother when Abby slides an arm around her shoulders.

“She’s going to require stitches to close a cut above her left eyebrow, and has a grade two concussion,” Nina tells them. “Other than that, it’s just a few bumps and bruises. She’s very lucky that it was only a bump on the head.”

“Thank you, Nina,” Abby says.

The nurse nods her head and finishes up in Lexa’s room, pulling the curtain closed behind her as she goes, leaving Clarke and Abby to sit, the silence only punctuated by the steady beeping of Lexa’s heart monitor.

“I don’t know how you work here every day,” Clarke says softly, breaking the thick silence around them. She sees Abby’s head turn in her peripheral vision, but she can’t look her mother in the eye just yet. Not when she feels like she’s suffocating in the guilt surrounding her father’s death.

“On my way in every morning I walk past the spot where your dad proposed to me,” Abby says quietly, her voice low and suddenly thick with tears. “I sit in the cafeteria every day thinking about all the times he surprised me with lunch and we would sit at a table in the corner and ignore everyone else around us. I think about the naps we would take together when he would visit me after he got off work. You were born two floors down. This place holds the memory of the night we lost him, but it also holds the memories of too many days and nights I never want to forget.”

Clarke’s throat is burning from trying to hold back her tears, but she blinks and two roll over her cheeks. Her mother’s arms wind around her, and that’s all it takes for her to break into a million pieces in her arms.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save him,” she sobs.

“Clarke.” Abby shushes her softly, rocking her and stroking her hair. “Honey, it is not your fault that he’s gone. I don’t know why you insist on blaming yourself for that.”

“I was there, and I was pre-med,” Clarke argues. She hiccups and gasps for air. “I should have done more.”

“You did everything you could have,” Abby soothes softly. “I’ve been a doctor for almost twenty years and I still can’t save everyone. I can’t blame myself for them, and you can’t blame yourself for him. I won’t let you.” Clarke sucks in a shuddering breath at this. All she’s wanted for two years was forgiveness from her mother, and now she finally realizes that she never needed it after all. “I’m sorry I let you live with this for two years.”

Clarke shakes her head. “I thought you hated me.”

“Oh, Clarke,” Abby breathes, holding her closer. “Of course I don’t hate you. Honey, even if your father had made it into the hospital he probably wouldn’t have survived that night. It was not your fault. I’m so sorry, honey.”

Clarke feels lighter than she has for two years. She’s been carrying around the guilt and the grief for too long. They sit quietly for a few minutes, Clarke content to let her mother hold her and rub her back soothingly. She’s had a horrible night and with the catharsis of finally speaking to her mother and alleviating her guilt, she suddenly feels completely drained.

She takes a moment to pull her phone from her pocket and notices she has twenty-one missed calls and nearly forty texts from her friends. She sends one text to Octavia, sort of glossing over the details, and tells her she isn’t sure they’ll be on the flight in the morning, but if they aren’t to go without them.

“Shouldn’t she be awake by now?” Clarke asks softly as she puts her phone on silent and pockets it, her eyes on the prone figure in the bed a few feet away.

Abby runs a hand up and down her arm soothingly. “She took a nasty fall, Clarke. She just needs a little time. Plus, she’s medicated now, too. The rest is good for her.”

The curtain slides open and they sit silently as Nancy sets up a suture kit, and a few minutes later they’re joined by the plastic surgeon, who greets them both with warm recognition.

“So, how do you both know this young lady?” he asks.

Clarke stares adoringly at the girl in the bed, totally unable to help the smile that appears on her lips. “She’s my girlfriend.”

He smiles at her obvious love-sickness. “Well, I’ll make sure your girlfriend doesn’t have any permanent scarring.” He peels back the bandage and winces slightly. “Though her eyebrow might not grow back completely through the line of stitches.”

Clarke suddenly smirks. “I’m sure she won’t mind a tiny sexy scar.”

He and Abby both laugh, and they sit in comfortable silence as he stitches away. He peels off his gloves a few minutes later and drops them to the tray before him. “Eleven stitches for your girlfriend.”

“Thank you, Aaron,” Abby tells him warmly.

“Yeah,” Clarke agrees with a tired smile. “Thank you.”

He gives them both a nod and exits, and a minute later Nancy follows behind him once she’s cleaned everything up.

“She should be fine to fly,” Abby tells her quietly. “I’ll make sure you have everything you need so she’s comfortable.”

“Thanks, mom,” Clarke tells her sincerely. “For everything.”

Abby smiles and presses her lips to Clarke’s temple.

A few minutes later, Lexa finally shifts in bed, and Clarke is by her side in an instant. She runs her hand over Lexa’s hair, smoothing it back from her face.

“Lexa?” she whispers.

Lexa groans and slowly cracks one eye, then the other open. Green eyes take a moment to focus on her, and her brow pinches like she’s in pain. “Clarke?”

“You’re okay, Lex,” Clarke coos, pressing her lips to her forehead.

“What happened?” Lexa asks. She glances around through squinted eyes. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the ER,” Clarke tells her, and she smiles thankfully at her mother when Abby flips the overhead light off, making Lexa relax.

“Can I have some water please?” Lexa asks quietly.

“Sure, sweetie,” Clarke says, smiling when her mother fills up a glass for her, but still hangs back to give them a moment. “Small sips.” She helps Lexa take a few small sips of water. “How much do you remember?”

Lexa’s brow pinches as she thinks. “I got a phone call from Anya, and I went outside to take it because I couldn’t get a signal.” She shakes her head, frown deepening. “That’s all I remember.”

“A security guard went out for a cigarette and caught the two guys who attacked you in the act,” Clarke tells her. “You were hit in the back of the head, so it must have immediately knocked you out.”

Abby steps forward and moves to the other side of the bed and grasps her free hand. “How are you feeling, Lexa?”

“My head hurts,” she says softly, apologetically.

Abby smiles sadly down at her, placing her free hand against her cheek. “We’ll get you something for the pain.” She turns to Nina, who has just arrived, and gives her some instructions before turning back to Lexa. She pulls out a pen light and tests her pupil response and makes her follow her finger. “You have some stitches. You also have a nasty bump on your head, so we wanted to keep you for a while to monitor you.”

“What about Las Vegas?” Lexa asks, her eyes worried and set on Clarke.

“That’s up to you,” Clarke tells her, softly. “No pressure either way. Whatever you feel up for.”

“I still really want to go,” Lexa replies immediately.

“Okay.” Clarke grins down at her, reaching down to sweep the hair off her face. “I’ll run out to get our luggage, and we can just head to the airport from here once we spring you.”

Lexa frowns at the plan as something occurs to her. “It doesn’t sound like you’ll get any sleep tonight.”

Clarke shrugs a shoulder up and kisses her. “I’ll sleep on the plane or by the pool tomorrow when we get there.”

“That sounds nice,” Abby says with a wistful smile.

Lexa smiles too. “It does.”

“Speaking of,” Abby says, like she’s suddenly remembering something. “You won the trip to Barbados.”

“Yes!” Clarke exclaims, holding her hand up for Lexa to high five. “That was the one I really wanted.”

Lexa slaps their hands together, seemingly content to watch Clarke so happy. “Tell me about it?”

Abby takes that as her cue. “I’ll leave you to it. Clarke, you have a few hours before you have to run home to get your luggage. I’ll make sure I’m back by then.”

Clarke smiles up at her. “Thanks, mom.”

“Yes,” Lexa adds sincerely. “Thank you, Abby.”

Abby reaches out to squeeze each of their hands. “No problem, girls. See you in a bit.”

Lexa stares at her for a moment and she blinks. “What are you wearing?”

Clarke glances down at her outfit, pinching the scrub top between her thumb and pointer finger, pulling it away from her skin before letting it settle again. “Head wounds bleed a lot.”

Suddenly Lexa looks completely crestfallen. “I ruined your dress? I’m so sorry.”

Clarke smiles down at her. “Sweetie, it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“I loved that dress on you,” Lexa tells her with a bit of a pout.

“It’s just a dress, babe.” Clarke laughs, but it sounds hollow even to her, and she kisses her. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” She bites her lip, and she swallows past the lump in her throat, desperately trying to hold herself together.

“You’ve been crying.” Lexa watches her carefully, and she suddenly seems to consider something else. Her eyes soften and she frowns. “Oh, Clarke.” She stares at Clarke for several long moments.

“I’m fine,” Clarke insists softly, suddenly not meeting her eyes. She just prays she doesn’t look as haunted as she feels.

“This is where they brought your father,” Lexa breathes. “And you had to come back covered in someone else’s blood. I’m so sorry.”

Clarke feels her chin quiver, and she clenches her jaw so tight it makes it ache, willing herself not to sob at the memory. But then Lexa’s arms open and beckon her forward. Clarke carefully avoids the wires and tubes as she sinks down into Lexa’s embrace. Lexa tugs her gently until Clarke is lying along the length of the bed next to her, wrapped tightly in her arms.

“You’re the one that gets hurt and you’re comforting me,” Clarke grumbles. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Lexa says, kissing her temple. She inhales deeply and Clarke relaxes fully against her. “Close your eyes and get some rest.”

That’s how Abby finds them a while later, with Clarke nearly passed out pressed against Lexa’s body in the bed.

“Do you want me to go get your bags, Clarke?” Abby asks. “You can stay here with Lexa.”

“I wish,” Clarke says wistfully as she carefully steps down from the bed. “I still have a few things to pack.” What she doesn’t mention, however, is that all she really still has to pack are a few unmentionables. She swipes a hand across Lexa’s forehead, sweeping her hair back and she presses a kiss in its wake. She meets Lexa’s eyes. “I’ll be back soon.”

 

 

Her cab drops her by her front door and she greets her doorman and takes the elevator up to her apartment, leaning heavily against the front door once she’s inside. She wishes she had the time to fall apart, because the blood and the ambulance and the hospital had nearly been too much, but she thinks of Lexa, being strong and silent and brave, and she pushes forward.

She flips on the bathroom light and begins gathering everything she and Lexa had left behind earlier, thinking they’d be returning after the gala, and she stuffs their makeup and other miscellaneous items into her makeup bag.

She glances up and catches sight of herself in the mirror. Her makeup is smudged under her eyes, which are still red and swollen from her tears earlier. Her hair is a total mess, and she notices finally that there are a few small smears of Lexa’s blood on her neck and in her hair.

She glances at her watch and figures she probably has time for a quick shower, so she strips out of the borrowed scrubs and turns the water on hot, and she feels her body sag the moment she steps under the stream of water.

As much as she wants to linger, she wants to get back to Lexa, so she keeps the shower short; just long enough to scrub off the blood and wash her hair. She dresses in her favorite jeans and a shirt she knows is Lexa’s, wanting to be comfortable on the six-hour flight, and grabs her phone to get another Uber.

She spends a few minutes gathering all the last-minute items she came back for, including comfortable clothes for Lexa to change into, and zips up their bags. She wheels them both to the front door and slips on a jacket and a light scarf. She tugs on her shoes and locks the door behind her, lugging both bags down to the lobby to wait for her ride.

She chats politely with the night doorman again once she’s seated in the lobby and he helps her with her bags. She gets a text from her mother on the way back saying they’re releasing Lexa and she’ll be nearly ready to go once Clarke returns.

She drags her bags into the attending’s lounge and shoves them into her mother’s cubby space as much as she can, and heads off to pick Lexa up.

She finds Lexa sitting up in bed with her head leaned back and her eyes closed. Her mother has her laptop open in her lap and is typing away on it. Abby glances up when the curtain parts to reveal Clarke and they share a smile.

“Is she asleep?” Clarke asks softly.

“No,” Lexa murmurs before Abby can. Her eyes open slowly and she sets a tired grin on Clarke.

Clarke approaches and kisses her softly. “You ready?”

Lexa nods. “Vegas,” she cheers softly, making Clarke grin.

Abby closes her computer and stands up, moving to help Clarke maneuver Lexa into the wheelchair at the foot of the bed. Clarke pushes her down the halls and they stop at the lounge to retrieve their bags, with Abby pulling them along behind her. They load into Abby’s SUV and they’re on their way to the airport.

 

 

Once they arrive at the airport, Abby puts the SUV into park and turns to Lexa in the passenger seat. Clarke is up and out of the car to find a luggage cart, so they have a moment alone.

“This,” Abby says as she hands over one bottle, “is for pain. You can take it up to four times a day with food. But, we gave you one before we left, so wait a few hours.” She hands over another. “This is for nausea and dizziness; in case you still have any. Every four hours if you need it.” And finally one more with only two pills inside. “One for each of your flights. Take them with food.”

Lexa grasps all the bottles, and especially the last one gratefully. “Thank you again, Abby.”

Abby smiles and pinches her chin affectionately. “No problem, honey.” She steps out of the car and makes her way around to the passenger side to help Lexa up and out of the car. She’s still a little sluggish as she gets up and Abby wraps an arm around her to keep her close.

Clarke watches like a hawk from the back of the car as she finishes loading their bags onto the cart.

“We ready?” she asks.

“Have fun, girls,” Abby tells them both, hugging them quickly.

“Bye, mom,” Clarke says as they embrace.

Lexa lifts her hand in a tired wave. “Bye, Abby.”

Abby waves at them once more as Lexa’s arm slips through Clarke’s, and they make their way slowly into the airport, where they spot the rest of the crew waiting at the ticket counter.

Despite the ridiculously early hour, and the obvious hangovers, the gang greets Lexa enthusiastically and warmly, and it makes Clarke’s heart swell almost painfully in her chest. Octavia is the first to hug her tightly, and she presses her lips to Lexa’s cheek for a few seconds. “You scared the shit out of us last night.”

Lexa seems happy to let the hug linger, and she smiles when the arms around her tighten. “I’m sorry.”

Octavia releases her enough to cradle her face in her palms for a moment. “Are you alright?” Her eyes on the bandage over Lexa’s eye.

Lexa nods, swallowing thickly. Her eyes cut to Clarke, who is watching her with unchecked adoration from just outside the small circle of bodies surrounding her. “Just a bump on the head. I’ll be fine.”

The moment Octavia releases her, Raven steps forward to hug her with the same enthusiasm. “Seriously, don’t ever pull that shit again.”

“It wasn’t exactly her fault,” Octavia points out.

“Yeah, yeah,” Raven brushes her off. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

Lexa hugs her back tightly. “Thank you, Raven.”

Harper is next. Her eyes map Lexa’s face before she hugs her warmly. “God, Lex, that must have hurt like a bitch.”

“I’m okay,” Lexa says as she’s released.

Bellamy hesitates, knowing things have been a little awkward since his fight with Clarke, but Lexa smiles up at him warmly. “You know you want to,” she says, making everyone around her laugh.

Bellamy smirks and takes a step forward to hug her tightly. “Glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you,” she tells him softly, smiling when he squeezes her extra tight for a moment.

Lexa blushes when he releases her. She’s clearly not used to so many people fussing over her. “I’m fine. I swear.”

“Is she?” Octavia asks softly as she grips Clarke’s hand, drawing the blonde’s attention to her. “Really okay?”

“As good as she can be,” Clarke says, her eyes drifting back to Lexa, talking quietly with the other three.

“Last night,” Octavia starts quietly, but hesitates, her expression darkening, “she wasn’t…”

“No,” Clarke replies, instantly catching her drift.

“Oh, thank God.” Octavia releases a relieved breath, squeezing Clarke’s hand once more before releasing it. “Saying she was attacked leaves a lot to the imagination, and we love her, too, ya know?”

Clarke smiles, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her. “I do. And she loves you, too.”

“Hey, let’s get this Vegas train rolling!” Raven exclaims, and Clarke squeezes Octavia again and they follow along behind the others.


	11. Vegas-Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh...see chapter before this, Chapter 10, for the actual, real update. I'm an idiot...

Clarke grips Lexa’s hand and smiles warmly at the terrified face next to hers. “Lex, relax,” she whispers. “Nothing is going to happen.”

“Six hours in a giant tin can, tens of thousands of feet in the air is not natural, Clarke,” Lexa says back, her voice soft and wavering.

“Sweetie, just sit tight until your pill kicks in,” Clarke says soothingly. “We’ll get you a drink as soon as the cart comes by and then you won’t care where you are, trust me.” She eyes the bandage across her forehead. “How’s your head?”

“Fine.” Lexa is practically vibrating next to her with nervous energy. Her knee is bouncing and her fingers are drumming on the armrest. Clarke can actually see the pulse beating against the skin in her neck, and it’s thrumming. She bites her lip thinking about running her tongue over that pulse point. She briefly considers trying to convince Lexa to join the mile-high club.

Instead, Clarke glances back at Octavia, seated next to Raven, across and one row back from herself and Lexa. They’re huddled together, quietly giggling about something on Octavia’s phone. Something about their behavior makes her pause, but only for a moment because she has more pressing matters. She swats at Octavia’s leg, making her glance up. “Did you bring any alcohol in your carry on?”

Octavia smirks. “Trying to get hammered already?”

“It’s not for me,” Clarke tells her, nodding her head to her seat mate. “She doesn’t like to fly.” She leaves off the part about this being Lexa’s first flight ever. It had started out as excitement, but the closer the trip got, the more worried Lexa became.

Octavia reaches into her bag and pulls out two white tubes and hands them over.

“Thanks.” Clarke grins at her and turns back to Lexa, who is chewing on her thumbnail, something she never does. “Here, babe.”

Lexa stares at the tube, and meets Clarke’s eyes. “How is that supposed to help me? I don’t start for two more weeks.”

Clarke smirks and pulls the tube apart to reveal the liquid inside. “Secret flask.”

Lexa continues to stare until she reaches for it. “You know you can bring bottles on the plane, right?”

“Yeah, but you’re not supposed to drink them.” Clarke shrugs. “We wanted to be discreet.”

“Right, because drinking alcohol from a tampon flask is far more discreet than drinking from a small bottle,” Lexa says making Clarke snort beside her. Her nose wrinkles in the most adorable way ever. “This is really gross.”

“Shut up and drink, or I’m keeping the second one for myself,” Clarke tells her with a laugh.

Lexa still looks dubious as she tilts the tube back and reaches for the second one. She glares when she notices Raven has snuck up to snap a quick picture of her drinking out of a fake tampon.

“I think O and Raven are sleeping together again,” Clarke whispers to her once Raven has snapped her photo and left them alone again. Lexa is silent beside her, and simply smirks. “Did you know?”

“I didn’t _know_. I suspected.” Lexa rolls her eyes when Clarke gapes at her. “Also, Lincoln told me she started to pull away after Raven mentioned the surgery.”

“Really?”

“They care about each other, that much is obvious,” Lexa says. Her eyes suddenly droop just a little and she settles her head against Clarke’s shoulder with a dozy sort of smile. “Oh, that’s nice.”

Clarke laughs and presses a kiss against the top of Lexa’s head. “Sleep, sweetie. You had a rough night.”

“Hmm,” Lexa hums softly

Ten minutes later she’s slumped against Clarke’s shoulder snoring softly, and they’re taking off for Vegas.

A few hours later Clarke glances down at the dark head resting against her shoulder and she shifts them both enough that she can slide out of her seat. She walks up the isle a few seats and crouches in the isle next to Harper. “Can we swap for a few minutes?”

Harper grins and unbuckles her seat belt. “Sure.”

Clarke stands and waits for Harper to exit her seat. She remains there until Harper slips into the seat next to Lexa and a dark head falls to her shoulder immediately. They share a grin and Clarke drops into the seat next to Bellamy.

“Lexa’s asleep?” Bellamy asks.

Clarke nods. “Hopefully it lasts until we get there.”

There’s a moment of tense silence, and then Clarke opens her mouth because she promised Harper that she would try, and it’s her wedding weekend, so she’s not backing out now.

“I’m in love with her.”

Bellamy grins at her and nods his head. “I know. And I’m an asshole.”

“I know,” Clarke says with a laugh. And just like that the tension is gone, and they’re back to being like siblings again.

“I’m sorry about what I said,” Bellamy says. “It was totally out of line. I have no excuse.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Clarke says. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you when you had just announced your engagement, and I should have talked to you sooner.”

“Any chance you can be my best man?” he asks, his eyes hopeful. “Best woman?”

Clarke grins. “Of course. I’m sure Harper won’t mind.”

 

 

Clarke notes it’s just after 9 a.m. local time when she checks her watch a few hours later as they exit the airport, and she sighs happily as a blast of hot, dry desert air hits her. She loves Nevada, and Vegas more specifically, and never misses a chance to go. Lexa steps up beside her and tangles their fingers together, slumping against her as the effects of her medication wear off slowly.

“It’s so warm,” she says, squinting her eyes until she can slip her glasses down over her face.

“I love it here,” Clarke says happily, leaning over to kiss her. She digs her aviators out of her bag and slides them on. “And I love gaining 3 hours. I feel like we cheated time.”

Lexa lets out a sleepy chuckle. “Are we getting a cab?”

“Not exactly.” Clarke smirks at the driver holding the sign with the BLAKE written on it, standing before a stretch Escalade. Bellamy never spares any expense when they do Vegas. “You haven’t done Vegas until you’ve done Vegas with Bellamy.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Clarke- “

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Clarke says softly, turning towards her and making sure no one is within earshot. “Bell knows none of us makes as much money as he does, and he loves to spoil us. And I want to spoil you a little too. Just try to have fun and don’t worry about the rest of it. Okay?”

Lexa smiles and Clarke knows it isn’t 100 percent genuine, but she appreciates the effort. She’s just glad that Lexa came at all.

 

_Lexa slides onto a bar stool and Clarke absolutely lights up when she sees her. She makes her way down the bar and hoists herself up enough to kiss her._

_“Hi,” she greets brightly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”_

_“Hi.” Lexa smiles softly before glancing around the bar. “Are you busy?”_

_Clarke shakes her head and tilts it towards the back of the bar and her office. “Step into my office.”_

_Lexa rolls her eyes because it’s a common joke she likes to make, but there’s a hint of a smile there, too._

_Clarke closes the door behind them and collapses down into the chair at the desk. Lexa takes a seat next to her in the spare chair and Clarke turns to her with a warm, but expectant expression. “What’s on your mind?”_

_Lexa studies her fingers, her knee bouncing and her lip sliding between her teeth. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Las Vegas with you.”_

_“What?” Clarke asks, her expression crestfallen. “But we were going to have so much fun. Dancing at Rainn, dinner at Bobby Flay’s, the wedding, the pool, gambling, drinking. You have to come!”_

_Lexa’s expression is slightly wistful and she shakes her head. “I can’t get away from work.”_

_Clarke studies her for a moment and frowns. “Don’t lie to me, Lex. What’s really going on?”_

_There are a few beats of silence and Lexa looks decidedly guilty. Then she looks sad. “I can’t afford to go with you.” She shrugs one shoulder up and won’t meet her eyes. “I’m sorry.”_

_Clarke’s heart breaks and she reaches for Lexa’s hands. “Sweetie, Bellamy is paying for our flights and for our rooms. We can bring our own alcohol and just lie by the pool for 3 days. I don’t care about any of that other stuff if you’re not there to share it with me.”_

_“No,” Lexa says, but it holds absolutely no conviction. She looks like she really wants to give in. “I’ll only be holding you back from doing the things you want to do.”_

_“If you don’t go, I don’t go,” Clarke says suddenly. “I’ll be miserable there without you.”_

_“That’s not fair,” Lexa responds with a frown. “Emotionally blackmailing me, when I know you’re a bridesmaid at your good friend’s wedding?”_

_“Then say yes,” Clarke begs. She pouts and sets Lexa with a hopeful stare. She knows it’s a low blow, but there’s no way she’s letting Lexa miss this trip over something stupid like money. “Please?”_

_“I think you’ll have a better time if you go without me,” Lexa says with a sigh, apparently resisting the effects of the pouting._

_“Not possible,” Clarke replies._

_Lexa stares at her long and hard and finally gives a short nod. “Fine.”_

_Clarke grins, clapping her hands together. She rises from her chair and moves to drop down on Lexa’s lap, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s neck. She kisses her hard and fast, pulling back to meet her eyes. “Thank you.”_

_Lexa smirks. “If this is the thanks I get…”_

_“Oh I’ll thank you properly, don’t worry,” Clarke murmurs against her lips._

 

The ride from the airport to the hotel only takes twenty minutes, but Bellamy still finds an excuse to pop a bottle of champagne and toast to his soon-to-be bride.

The bubbles tickle her nose as Clarke takes a sip, but she’s never been a fan of the drink. She smiles watching Lexa drink, because she seems to like it. They chat about plans for the night. Clarke had been working her phone and the internet to find any and all comps she could get because of the wedding so Lexa wouldn’t miss a thing, and she’d worked out a few deals along the way.

“So I have hooked us up,” Clarke announces. “I was very charming on the phone and in my emails, and I got us some free stuff.”

Raven’s eyes narrow. “No you weren’t. You totally got your mom to hook you up, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Clarke answers immediately with a wide, toothy grin. “But I asked her to, so it’s still like I hooked us up. And I actually was sort of charming on the phone with one guy.”

“Just the one?” Lexa asks with a smirk, making Clarke glare playfully at her.

“If you say so,” Raven relents with a laugh.

“We’ll start with the bride,” Clarke says.

“Yay!” Harper cheers happily, making the rest of them smile.

“Okay, so I got us free tickets to Britney tonight for you,” Clarke tells her, earning a squeal and a hug from her. “Show starts at 9. Sorry, Bell. But to make up for it we have dinner at Mesa for you at 6:30. We have a VIP table and bottle service at Surrender after the show. Tonight is on me. My gift to you guys.”

“Thanks, Griff!” Harper exclaims.

“Yeah, thanks, Clarke.” Bellamy grins. “The rest of the weekend is on me though. Dinner, clubs, whatever. I just want to have a good time. Charge everything to our room at the hotel, too. I mean it.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Raven says with a grin, clinking her glass with Octavia’s.

“We have two suites at Caesar’s,” Bellamy says, smiling lovingly at Harper. “You guys have a two bedroom.”

“Adjoining?” Octavia asks.

“Should be,” he replies with a nod.

Octavia’s nose scrunches. “I’d like to go ahead and call dibs on the room furthest from theirs. I can do without ever hearing you two go at it.”

Clarke laughs. “You _are_ one of the loudest guys I’ve ever heard do it, Bell. I’ll admit I like man grunts as much as the next bi girl, but yours kind of gross me out.”

“Man grunts?” Lexa asks with a laugh, her nose crinkling adorably. “Ew.”

“Depends on the guy, I think,” Octavia muses, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Lincoln’s were very quiet. For such a big guy, it was kind of weird.”

Clarke finds herself watching Raven at the mention of Octavia’s ex, and there’s a moment of tension before Octavia absently slides her hand over Raven’s thigh and squeezes.

“I happen to like Bellamy’s man grunts,” Harper announces, not about to let the tension rise. “I think it’s hot.”

“Gross,” Raven mumbles.

“Agreed,” Lexa says, holding her hand up for Raven to high-five her.

“How about we change the subject?” Bellamy suggests, reaching for the bottle to refill everyone’s glasses.

 

An hour later they’ve arrived at Caesar’s and have checked in. Harper and Bellamy take off to meet the wedding planner and the others check out the swanky suite. Clarke lets Octavia have first pick, and she and Lexa claim the remaining bedroom. Clarke flops face down onto the bed, sinking into the softness immediately. She yanks a pillow off the top of the bed to prop under her head as she watches Lexa settle into the room. She unzips her garment bag and pulls out several dresses to hang them in the closet.

“I should be doing that,” Clarke mumbles. “You’re hurt.”

Lexa smiles down at her softly. “I’m fine. You rest. You were up all night.”

“So were you,” Clarke argues weakly, but she can feel sleep tugging at her, and she knows they have a few hours before they have to be anywhere.

“I slept for almost 6 hours on the plane,” Lexa points out.

Clarke hums sleepily. “Do you want to go to the pool? I can nap there.”

She toes off her shoes and closes her eyes, and she can hear soft footsteps from Lexa’s bare feet on the carpet. Suddenly hair is tickling her nose and Lexa’s lips are pressed to hers. A hand smooths back her hair and another kiss is pressed to her temple. “Sleep.”

Clarke sighs happily, so relieved that Lexa doesn’t mind her spending the first few hours of their trip napping. She finds herself sort of drifting in and out over the next few minutes, but then she feels the bed dip beside her. She turns her head to find Lexa next to her with a book, and she sighs happily again, because the only thing better than napping for a few hours right now is napping on top of her favorite person.

Lexa smiles like she can see right through her, and it makes Clarke’s heart stutter in her chest, and she scoots over towards the other girl, crawling between her legs, sinking down into her the moment Lexa’s long, slender arms wrap around her tightly. She’s got her face pressed to Lexa’s stomach and her arms wrapped around Lexa and under the pillows propping her up, and Lexa waits for them both to settle before she cracks the book and winds her free hand through Clarke’s hair.

Clarke fights sleep for a few minutes simply because she’s so warm, and Lexa is wrapped around her so comfortably and she wants to remember this moment for eternity, because it’s easy to find a person to have fun with, and to party with, but it’s incredibly hard to find someone that you can have the quiet, close moments with.

The moment is ruined shortly after by the buzz of Clarke’s cell on the nightstand. “No,” she whines, snuggling down further into Lexa’s warmth.

“It’s Ravetavia,” Lexa tells her quietly.

“Oh my God,” Clarke says with a snort, suddenly wide awake and propping herself up to look at Lexa with wide eyes and a grin because she seriously cannot believe what she just heard coming out of Lexa’s mouth. “Did you seriously just call them by their portmanteau?”

“No,” Lexa replies indignantly. She holds up Clarke’s phone. “Raven did. I’m just repeating what she typed. Or I was, until I was rudely interrupted.”

Clarke chuckles softly and snags the phone, typing out a quick response before tossing the phone away and dropping her weight back to Lexa’s body, forcing an ‘oof’ from the other girl when she lands rather roughly on her.

It’s quiet for about thirty seconds until there’s a knock on the door. “Ugh, no!” Clarke calls out, but her words are muffled by Lexa’s body, so a moment later the bedroom door opens.

“I thought you were kidding.” Raven stands there, blinking at the scene before her. She smirks and crosses her arms over her chest, leaning heavily against the doorframe. “Seriously, Griff? We’re in Vegas and you want to sleep?”

There’s a beat of silence and Clarke is literally holding her breath and her entire body tenses against Lexa’s, because with Raven she’s never quite sure what the other girl will do. It could be anything from her simply turning away and leaving them alone to spring-boarding onto the bed to wrestle Clarke awake and force her into some Vegas shenanigans.

“Raven!” Octavia calls. A few seconds later she’s standing at Raven’s side, she casts a curious glance into the bedroom and also seems a little shocked that Clarke is sleeping. “You can’t just barge into people’s bedrooms. Especially when they’re moaning right before you open the door. They could have been right in the middle of it.”

“We weren’t,” Lexa insists.

“I wasn’t moaning,” Clarke argues, her face pressed against Lexa.

“It was more of a groan really,” Raven says.

“Out!” Octavia says, pointing back towards the rest of the suite. She grabs the door handle, pulling it nearly closed. “Sorry, Lex.”

“Let her get a few hours in and we’ll meet you guys,” Lexa says softly, pressing her palm gently to Clarke’s shoulder to keep her where she is.

There’s a brief silence and the door clicks shut. All the tension immediately seeps from Clarke’s body and she wills herself to relax again. “Thank you.”

Lexa shushes her quietly, running a hand over her hair. “Sleep.”

 

 

Clarke actually manages a few good hours of sleep before she’s woken by her cell phone again. She groans at the realization that she’s been added to a group text by Harper, who is jazzed about the wedding plans and is sending them pictures of the cakes she and Bellamy are tasting, and it’s likely to never end, so she decides it’s time to get up.

She and Lexa take a quick shower together, though Clarke does manage to press herself along the length of Lexa’s body, backing her slowly against the cool tile of the massive shower. Her hands slide over Lexa’s shoulders, down across her breasts and belly and she lets one hand drop between Lexa’s legs to circle her clit.

She nudges Lexa’s head to the side with her nose and swipes her tongue over a rapid pulse point and under her ear. She presses a thigh between Lexa’s legs, adding more pressure to her fingers and she’s rewarded with a moan in her ear.

Lexa grips the back of her hair, angling her head to press her tongue into Clarke’s mouth. Clarke kisses her long and deep, swiping their tongues together and pulling back enough to sink her teeth into Lexa’s bottom lip. She increases the pace of her fingers and she can tell Lexa is close by the way her fingers press desperately against her spine and tighten in her hair.

Lexa’s head thumps back against the wall of the shower and Clarke uses the extra space to drop her lips to close around one pert nipple. She swirls her tongue, sucking and licking until Lexa moans again and tenses in her arms. Her fingers slow, but don’t stop as Lexa’s orgasm washes over her and makes her slump heavily in Clarke’s arms.

“Come on,” Clarke says, kissing her softly. “We have to meet the girls at the pool.”

“What about you?” Lexa asks, a tiny frown creasing her brow.

Clarke smirks. “We don’t have time right now for the things I want you to do to me.”

Lexa’s lashes flutter at the unexpected answer and her mouth falls open for a moment before her lips turn up in a small, curious smile. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Clarke’s smirk widens and she reaches around Lexa to turn the water off. “I was just hoping you’d wear something special for me tonight.”

Lexa’s head tilts and her eyes narrow. “You really won’t tell me anything else?”

“You’ll just have to wait until tonight.” And she’s out of the shower and into a bikini before Lexa knows what to do with herself.

 

 

 

“Well, your stamina is improving, Griff,” Raven says the minute she spots the two of them, her face nearly splitting in a wide, cheeky grin. She mimes checking a watch on her empty wrist. “That was almost 3 hours.”

“Shut up, Rave.” Clarke swats her playfully with the magazine in her hand, making Octavia glare up at her.

“Clarke!” she scolds, sounding annoyed. “Not her bad leg.”

“I barely touched her,” Clarke defends as she and Lexa drop their stuff onto chairs next to the other two. She takes the outermost chair and gives Lexa the one next to Raven. Her eyes wander as Lexa removes her shorts and tank top to reveal her bikini.

“O, I’m fine,” Raven tells her quietly, but Octavia seems to be studiously ignoring all of them.

The other three sit in a sort of tense silence until a waiter appears and they all order fruity drinks.

“Okay, what did we miss?” Clarke asks, sitting up in her chair to face the others. Her eyes skim over Lexa’s form in the chair next to hers before she turns to her friend. “Why are you being so pissy?”

“Because,” Raven answers before Octavia can even open her mouth. “She’s freaked out because I took my brace off to get some sun. And she’s pissed because we’ve been hit on a few times.”

“Seven,” Octavia snaps. “Seven times, Rave. By the same stupid crew of frat boys. And excuse me for worrying about your leg. But what if something happens while you don’t have the brace on and you can’t get the surgery?”

“O,” Raven soothes softly, and Clarke turns her attention back to Lexa next to her. She’s blatantly ogling and she doesn’t care one bit. She stands long enough to slip off her shorts and tank top and she spreads the fluffy white towel out over her lounge chair. She notices Lexa’s eyes on her once she settles back in the chair, totally ignoring the book sitting open in her lap.

“You need sunscreen,” Lexa says softly.

“But I just got comfortable,” Clarke sighs.

“A sunburn will ruin this trip,” Lexa warns playfully in a sing-song voice. She marks her place in her book with her index finger, closing the pages around it. “I’ll do your back. Come on.”

“That’s what she said,” Raven quips as she settles back in her chair. Clarke rolls her eyes, but notices that Octavia seems to have calmed down.

Clarke sits up and begins applying sunscreen, and she finds that she’s more than a little jealous of the pair sandwiched between hers and Octavia’s chairs. She finds their darker skin tones so much more appealing than her own. She thinks even Octavia can pull off her pale skin because her dark eyes and hair set it off so much more beautifully than her fair features do.

Lexa smirks at her. “You’re beautiful, Clarke.”

Clarke meets her gaze with startled eyes, but at this point she shouldn’t be surprised that Lexa can see right through her. She hands over the tube of sunscreen and Lexa smears it liberally over her back.

“Yeah, baby!” a guy calls, ogling them as he walks by. He cannonballs into the pool nearby before Clarke can say anything back.

“Ignore it,” Lexa says over her shoulder softly, even as they can hear Octavia calling out an impressive string of expletives at him over her shoulder.

Their drinks arrive and Clarke is careful to put them both between hers and Lexa’s chairs. Ever since the night she’d been drugged, she takes extra care with her drinks.

As Clarke settles back into her chair, she notices that things are finally calm. She feels the pull of sleep again and thinks that she could easily take another nap, but her head turns and she finds that she’d much rather map Lexa’s body instead.

They’d both gotten pedicures before the gala the night before, so Lexa’s toes are painted and there’s a tiny toe ring that circles her second toe on her left foot that Clarke finds adorable. Her long, slender legs are glistening under the layer of tanning oil that sparks Clarke’s jealousy once again at having to cover every inch of her own skin with SPF 50 not to burn, but Lexa and Raven can lather tanning oil and turn 5 shades darker.

Lexa’s wearing a simple black bikini and her hip bones jut out in a way that makes Clarke want to press her lips over them both. She eyes the long expanse of her torso, and her breasts, up a long neck, and she finds Lexa watching her with a grin.

“Can I help you?” she asks playfully, soft and low, clearly sensing Clarke’s mood.

“No,” Clarke replies, her voice going extra throaty because she knows it drives the other girl crazy, and it seems to work, because Lexa’s lashes flutter beautifully and her breathing is just a hair faster than before. “But I’m fairly certain I can help you.”

“Oh my God,” Raven whines, throwing her hands over her ears. “Can you two shut it down for like an hour, please? You were _just_ upstairs for three hours all alone!”

“I was sleeping!” Clarke says with a laugh. Lexa giggles beside her and the sound makes Clarke’s stomach twist in the best way. She reaches her hand out and loosely wraps her fingers around Lexa’s forearm and leans back, closing her eyes.

 

 

 

Her sense of peace lasts exactly twenty-three minutes. She knows because Raven actually times how long they could go without dealing with the frat boys. She’s nearly asleep. Lexa has been reading quietly next to her with Clarke’s hand pressed against her, palm up, knuckles brushing her hip. Lexa will flip a page and drop her free hand back to Clarke’s palm, tracing the skin there softly with the pads of her fingers.

Clarke hears the telltale signs of someone approaching with wet feet slapping the pavement next to her chair, and she’s startled when cold droplets of water fall on her from whoever approached. Her eyes open and hand raises to shield her eyes from the sun to find a guy taking a seat next to her and grinning at her and Lexa.

“Hey,” he greets cheerfully. “I’m Troy.”

“And I’m sleeping,” Clarke tells him, dropping her head back and swiping at the droplets he splashed on her torso. “Well, I was.” She feels Lexa’s hand still against hers.

“Can I buy you two a drink?” he asks, clearly not deterred from his plan by her brush-off. “You’re both really beautiful.”

“No thanks,” Lexa says. “We won’t be here much longer.”

“You should stick around!” he says, pushing again. “I’ll get the next round. I know a few of the bartenders and they always load up our drinks.”

“No thanks,” Clarke says. She turns her head to her friends. “What time are Bell and Harper supposed to be done?”

“You don’t have to be such a bitch,” Troy says, anger suddenly coloring his tone as he stands up, spraying Clarke with water again.

“Ex _cuse_ you?” Clarke snaps, sitting up and glaring at him. “We politely declined your offer to buy us drinks _twice_. Even though _once_ should have been enough to get through your thick fucking skull that none of us are interested and would like to be left alone.”

“Bitch,” he huffs as he walks away.

“Asshole.” Clarke exchanges a look with Octavia, who appears to be absolutely seething, and they both watch him walk back to his friends, who seem to be teasing him. She settles back in her chair, and Lexa resumes the soft teasing of her skin, and all is quiet again.

This time it lasts sixteen minutes.

“The water’s fine, ladies,” another guy calls out from the pool. “Just like the four of you.”

“Gross,” Raven mutters.

“Fuck off already,” Octavia groans.

They all ignore him.

“Come on, girls!” he calls, splashing some water towards them that lands just shy of the edge of their row of chairs. He smiles wide and charming and hoists himself up so he’s resting on his elbows on the side of the pool. He lifts a hand over his hair to push it back off his face, taking the time to not-so-subtly flex as he does. “The water’s perfect!”

“No thanks,” Clarke calls back. “We’re fine here.”

“I think it’s time to go,” Octavia says to them. She’s practically shaking with anger and she looks ready to get into a fist fight.

“Oh, come on,” he calls at them again. “Don’t go. Let me buy you guys a round.”

“How have you not figured out by now that we’re not interested?” Octavia calls back.

“Cause I know you’re just playing hard to get,” he calls back with a grin.

“Bet he read that one in the date rapists’ handbook,” Octavia mutters angrily, and she misses the way Raven flinches.

“Bell and Harper are on their way,” Clarke tells them, her eyes lingering on Raven for a moment before glancing down at her phone. “Let’s get the hell out of here before this gets ugly.”

“I’m gonna settle the tab,” Octavia tells them. She focuses on Raven. “I’ll be right back.”

Raven nods and begins gathering her things up, and the other two do as well.

Clarke glances up and spots Bellamy and Harper headed her way. She holds up a hand and waves at them both until they see her and head towards them.

Raven stands unsteadily, all her weight on her right leg as she begins to tug her shorts back up her hips.

It all happens so fast, but it’s like Clarke sees it all happening in slow motion. She happens to notice one of the frat boys glance between Octavia, whose back is turned to them, to Raven and he grins. He jogs towards Raven and has his arms around her practically tackling her into the pool with a yelp before any of them even register what’s happened.

Chaos erupts around them.

Clarke panics at once because she knows how unstable Raven’s spine is, and the rate at which the guy ran into her is enough that it could do serious, permanent damage to her.

She and Lexa are instantly up and to the side of the pool, screaming at the guy with Raven now flailing in his arms, and screaming at his friends, who think it’s the most hilarious thing they’ve ever seen. Their yelling draws Octavia’s attention and she turns and sprints towards the edge of the pool.

Bellamy comes running over and he hits the water the same time Octavia does and they’re on their targets within moments. The water is just deep enough that Octavia can’t get solid footing on the bottom of the pool as she pulls Raven’s sputtering body away from the guy that Bellamy looks close to punching.

“Are you alright?” Octavia asks, trying to smooth Raven’s hair away from her face.

“Yeah,” Raven answers immediately, sounding frazzled and slightly panicky herself.

Octavia guides her to the side of the pool where Harper, Clarke and Lexa are waiting with a towel to pull her out, and the moment the other girls have Raven safely sitting on the side of the pool she heads towards the guy that started it all.

“Hey, asshole,” she calls as she makes her way over to him. Bellamy shoots a warning look over his shoulder as he catches her approach, but as usual she ignores it. “Do you have any idea what you could have done to her? She has a fucking spine injury. You could have paralyzed her with your stupid stunt.”

“Oh fuck off,” he says, rolling his eyes and shoving Bellamy’s hands away. “I was just having a little fun. Don’t be such a bitch.”

Bellamy shoves him, “Do not call my sister a bitch.”

“Fuck you, dude,” the guy says, shoving Bellamy again. “And get the hell off me.”

By this point they’ve caught the attention of security, and Clarke is grateful. She crouches next to Raven and rubs her hands up and down her upper arms over the towel draped over her shoulders. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Clarke,” Raven tells her softly. She lifts her good leg, wiggling her toes to prove her point.

“Any pain?” Clarke asks, her voice trembling, and she’s trying not to panic. “Do I need to call mom? Should we go to the hospital? Mom gave me some morphine in case you need-”

“Clarke,” Raven insists softly, cutting her off. “I’m fine. Honest. He just caught me off guard.”

“I think Octavia is scaring security,” Lexa mumbles as she takes a seat next to Raven. They keep an eye on the two security guards that have approached the edge of the pool and are getting an ear full from Octavia, who keeps gesturing with jabs of her fingers in the frat boys’ direction.

“She can be a little scary,” Raven says, joking half-heartedly.

Clarke watches as things grow more heated with Bellamy and the guy who threw Raven in the pool and she glances over just as the guy throws a punch, hitting Bellamy in the face. Clarke curses and dives in towards them. She isn’t entirely sure what she’s going to do once she gets there, but she knows she isn’t just going to sit around while someone hits her friend.

“Hey!” she shouts shoving the guy before he can hit Bellamy again.

“Stay out of this, Clarke,” Bellamy warns.

“Clarke!” Lexa calls from the side of the pool. “He’s not worth it.”

“Fuck you, too,” the guy calls in Lexa’s direction and Clarke’s eyes narrow. She glances over her shoulder to find the guards suitably occupied with Octavia’s ranting and she turns again, clapping the guy in the side of the head, right over his left ear.

He curses and turns fully to her. “You bitch!”

She smirks. “Go ahead and hit a girl, you asshat. Security is right there.”

“You’re lucky you’re a fucking girl, or I’d break your damn nose,” he sneers. “Bitch.”

“Right back at you, asshole,” she snaps right back at him.

He lunges towards her, but Bellamy grabs him, drawing his attention back and punches him in the face. The guy goes right back after him, but Clarke is too close and she catches his elbow in the side of her face, right below her right eye.

Her vision blacks out for a moment and she forgets she’s treading in water too deep, making her sink for a moment too. Then there’s a splash and arms are tugging her up and she’s sputtering as she breaks the surface of the water.

Once her hands grasp the edge of the pool, Lexa hoists herself up and over the edge quickly, then bends at the waist to pull her up and over as well to sit next to Raven. “I’ll get you some ice.”

“You slapped the shit out of him,” Raven says with a laugh.

“He’s lucky I only used one hand,” Clarke mutters darkly, holding a hand over her face. She winces at the pain in her cheek. A minute later a bag of ice is pressed to her face and she smiles up at Lexa.

Harper is shaking her head, a wry smile on her face as she wraps a towel around Clarke’s shoulders as well. “I can’t take you guys anywhere, can I?”

 


End file.
